Standard Lemma guide

nyctophobia

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -əʊbiə

1

noun

Meaning 1

A fear of the night, nighttime, or darkness.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: noctiphobia, scotophobia

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

a morbid fear of night or darkness

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: simple phobia

History

Etymology

Etymology tree English nycto- Ancient Greek -φοβία (-phobía)der. Latin New Latinbor. English -phobia English nyctophobia From nycto- + -phobia.

Across languages

Translations

12 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: страх от тъмното (strah ot tǎmnoto) — fear of the night
  • Danish: mørkeræd — fear of the night
  • Danish: nyktofobi — fear of the night
  • Finnish: pimeänpelko — fear of the night
  • French: nyctophobie — fear of the night
  • German: Nyktophobie — fear of the night
  • Greek: νυχτοφοβία (nychtofovía) — fear of the night
  • Hindi: अन्धकार भय (andhakār bhay) — fear of the night
  • Portuguese: nictofobia — fear of the night
  • Swedish: nyctofobi — fear of the night
  • Swedish: skotofobi — fear of the night
  • Swedish: mörkrädsla — fear of the night