# I need a phobe name **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 15, 2004, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-phobe-name/259945 "2004-08-15T14:56:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Obolus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/b19c9b/32.png) [@Obolus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Obolus)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2004, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-phobe-name/259945/1 "2004-08-15T14:56:41Z")
I need the technical name for a person who fears being in a wedding, real or imaginary. Not one who attends, but one who has to be a functioning part of the ceremony, maybe a bridesmaid. Actually she is a bridesmaid and she is terrified. I want to know what kind of phobe to call her. Thanks, Obolus ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2004, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-phobe-name/259945/2 "2004-08-15T15:01:46Z")
Well, there’s the generic “gamophobia” which is a fear of marriages. I think we’ll need a classical greek scholar to get it more specific. ---
**Author:** ![hyjyljyj](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/0ea827/32.png) [@hyjyljyj](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hyjyljyj)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2004, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-phobe-name/259945/3 "2004-08-15T15:04:39Z")
Expensivegaudydressophobe? ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2004, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-phobe-name/259945/4 "2004-08-15T15:10:29Z")
From [this article](http://abcnews.go.com/sections/Entertainment/WolfFiles/Wolf_Files_285-1.html) “If you’re deathly afraid of getting married, you might suffer from gamophobia (fear of weddings), genophobia (fear of sex) or even pentheraphobia (fear of mothers-in-law).” ---
**Author:** ![Celyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9dc877/32.png) [@Celyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Celyn)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2004, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-phobe-name/259945/5 "2004-08-15T16:02:00Z")
> [@Obolus](#): > > I need the technical name for a person who fears being in a wedding, real or imaginary. Not one who attends, but one who has to be a functioning part of the ceremony, maybe a bridesmaid. Actually she is a bridesmaid and she is terrified. I want to know what kind of phobe to call her. > > Thanks, > > Obolus Just call me Celyn! ☹ I was very very much not looking forward to being a witness for my brother’s wedding. I supose that’s mre of a genral anxiety thing than weddings, though. But, then again, hmm, no - I was unahhpy about having to go to other brother’s wedding and I had no agoraphobia- type thing then. I think jsut because there is somethign so socially compulosry and a bit inane about it. As in compulsory dress nicely, prepare to talk to people whm one coudl _either_talk to at ANY time, or whom one simply does not know at all. Andlisten to a clergyman or a civil reigstrar being a bit tedious. ANd wear pretty stuff - mesaning, usually non-practical stuff. Oh, I could go on. yeah, I think I shall be interested to see what the proper answer to this is. ---
**Author:** ![Hyperelastic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Hyperelastic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hyperelastic)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2004, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-phobe-name/259945/6 "2004-08-15T18:25:26Z")
How about nuptiaphobe? (Latin _nuptiae_, meaning the wedding ceremony) ---
**Author:** ![Excalibre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/898d66/32.png) [@Excalibre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Excalibre)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2004, 6:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-phobe-name/259945/7 "2004-08-16T06:24:17Z")
Poofysleevesinatackycolorlikeseagreenophobe?