Claustrophobia, agoraphobia, acrophobia, arachnophobia—and the list goes on—are terms most people have heard of before. But what exactly does the word, phobias, mean?

While most people have a vague idea of a phobia simply meaning having a fear of something, a phobia is actually categorized as an anxiety disorder and has many specific types. Derived from the Greek word phobos, meaning fear or horror, phobias are an irrational fear or aversion to something unlikely to cause harm. 

Having a phobia is fairly common, with millions of people in the world possessing at least one. In the United States, arachnophobia (fear of spiders) is the most common with 30.5% of the population possessing it. Mysophobia (fear of germs) is also surprisingly common, with 13.2% of the U.S. population being “germaphobes”.

Revisiting how there are many types of phobia, specific phobias are what are commonly recognized as phobias, and this includes the common fear of heights, spiders, closed-in spaces, and flying. Less commonly regarded as being phobias are social phobias, when people feel anxious and discomfort with certain social situations, such as public speaking or performing.

With the occasion being Halloween, here are some peculiar and perhaps oddly specific phobias:

Coulrophobia: Fear of Circus Clowns

With their disturbing painted on smiles, it’s unsurprising that clowns are, well, disturbing. While circus clowns are intended for children’s entertainment, ironically, a study found that children universally dislike clowns. Of course, it doesn’t help how evil clowns star in numerous horror movies annually. 

Domatophobia: Fear of Houses

This phobia is commonly caused by traumatic events associated with houses, such as in-home robberies, or experienced by the elderly when they feel alone being in a house. Of course, it can also simply stem from a wild imagination for those who believe in haunted houses. People with this fear usually also have a fear of closed-in spaces or a fear of being trapped.

Ephebiphobia: Fear of Teenagers

As ridiculous as it sounds, a fear of teenagers is also commonly referred to as a “fear of the youth,” with this phobia being attributed to youth stereotypes seen in society. People with ephebiphobia are usually scared of street culture and crime as they associate teenagers with having “decadent morality”.

Wiccaphobia: Fear of Witches and Witchcraft

Indeed, thinking of the Salem Witch trials isn’t off the mark here: a fear of witches does have its roots in history quite significantly. From the 14th century, mass hysteria spread (mainly from the religious) due to people using witchcraft as a scapegoat to explain natural disasters and other unexplainable events. 

Samhainophobia: Fear of Halloween

The fear of Halloween is another one that is caused by several factors. Often, fear of spiders, the dark, ghosts, as well as social anxiety make Halloween a harrowing time for many people.