Meaning of phobia

pho•bi•a

1. a persistent, irrational fear of a specific object, activity, or situation that leads to a compelling desire to avoid it.

-phobia

1. a combining form meaning “fear,” occurring in loanwords from Greek (hydrophobia); on this model, used in the names of mental disorders that have the general sense “dread of, aversion toward” that specified by the initial element: agoraphobia.