Ochlophobists

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A person who has an intense fear or aversion to crowds, marked by anxiety in situations with large groups of people
2. An individual affected by a phobia that provokes dread or discomfort in densely populated environments
3. Someone suffering from a psychological condition that causes apprehension or panic when surrounded by numerous others

Etymology: "Ochlophobists" is the plural of "ochlophobist," a noun for a person who fears crowds. The word is built from the Ancient Greek "ókhlos," meaning "crowd" or "mob," which also appears in English "ochlocracy," rule by the mob. The Greek "ókhlos" was used of an undifferentiated throng of people, often one that was disorderly or dangerous, and that sense carries into the modern formation. The second element, "-phobist," comes from the Greek "phobos," meaning "fear," with the suffix "-ist" marking a person who holds or practices something. English combines the two to name someone with a fear of crowds, following the pattern of older coinages such as "claustrophobe" and "xenophobe." Like those words, it is a learned formation from classical roots rather than a term that existed in antiquity, so the Greeks themselves would not have used it.

Synonyms: crowd-phobes, agoraphobes

Antonyms: crowd-lovers, gregarious people