Aviophobe

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A person who experiences an intense fear or aversion to flying in aircraft
2. An individual characterized by a significant anxiety regarding air travel and airplane safety
3. Someone who exhibits a strong dislike or phobia concerning flying or being in airplanes

Etymology: "Avi-" in this word comes from "avis," the Latin for "bird," and it reached English through "aviation," the term for flying machines. Flight was once a matter of birds, so a word built on the Latin root for "bird" was a natural way to name the act of flying. The ending is Greek. "Phobos" meant "fear" or "panic," and it became the English suffix "-phobia" for an irrational dread. The "-phobe" form, which names the sufferer rather than the condition, follows the same pattern as many other fear words. Together, the two parts describe someone who is afraid of flying.

Synonyms: aircraft hater, flight hater

Antonyms: aviophile