Ochlophobe

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A person with a profound dislike or fear of being in crowded places experiences significant unease during large social gatherings or events
2. An individual who feels strong anxiety or dread when confronted with numerous other people in a confined area often seeks solitude to cope with their discomfort
3. Someone who feels intense discomfort or anxiety when surrounded by many people in close proximity

Etymology: Ochlophobe is built from two Greek elements. The first, "ochlo-", comes from Greek "ochlos", meaning a crowd or mob, the same root that gives English "ochlocracy", rule by the mob. The second, "-phobe", comes from Greek "phobos", fear, and gives English words for someone who dreads a particular thing. Joined together, the pieces describe a person who fears crowds. The word is a modern coinage rather than an ancient one. Greek writers had "ochlos" and "phobos" available, but nothing in classical Greek combines them into a term for a person who dreads a crowd. Like many scientific and psychological terms built from classical parts, it was assembled from existing roots to name a condition that needed a label.