English Explanatory Dictionary

hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. A playful, non-clinical term for the fear of long words, coined as an exaggerated extension of “sesquipedalian”. Despite its appearance, it is not an officially recognized psychiatric diagnosis in standard diagnostic systems.

Pronunciation

/ˌhɪ.pəˌpɒ.tə(ʊ)ˈmɒn.stɹə(ʊ)ˌsɛs.kwɪ.pɪˌdɑːl.ɪ.ə(ʊ)ˈfəʊ.bɪ.ə/ en-uk-hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia.ogg

Word forms

hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia

Etymology

From hippopotomonstrosesquipedalian, in turn an extension of sesquipedalian with ad hoc combining forms of Latin monstrum (“monster”) and hippopotamus (intended to exaggerate the length of the word itself and the idea of the size of the words being feared), + -phobia.

Synonyms

sesquipedalophobia

Related words

hippopotomonstrosesquipedalian sesquipedalian
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