How many do you have?
Spooky! These Are The Most Common Phobias & Fears Adults Still Have
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When you were little, you probably figured adulthood meant finally outgrowing all your fears, right? But spoiler alert, being an adult just introduces a whole new set of things to stress about, like credit card bills or the day you officially age out of your parents’ health insurance.
Anyway, the point is that the phobias you had during childhood tend to stick with you for life. Adults everywhere are still haunted by the same old fears, no matter how many years go by. Here are the eight most common phobias that adults have not yet outgrown.
Scroll to see all the most common phobias that many adults still have in 2025...
Acrophobia: Fear of Heights
More than 6% of people have an intense fear of heights, which causes them to avoid high places, such as tall buildings and bridges. Even ladders and going up in an elevator can be a source of panic for people with acrophobia, triggering symptoms like vertigo, shortness of breath, and rapid heartbeat.
Aerophobia: Fear of Flying
Between 10% and 40% of adults in the United States have a profound fear of flying in an airplane. They often experience anxiety attacks during air travel or will avoid flying altogether. Exposure therapy, in which a person is gradually introduced to flying, can help lessen this fear.
Arachnophobia: Fear of Spiders
Most people who come into contact with a spider will get the heebie-jeebies. The multiple eyes and legs of a spider are enough to creep anyone out. But in some cases, even just an image of a spider sends you straight into a flood of fear. Arachnophobia is the fear of arachnids and spiders. It likely stems from evolutionary traits that help humans identify dangerous animals.
Ophidiophobia: Fear of Snakes
The extreme fear of snakes is known as ophidiophobia. It is suggested that this phobia was passed down from our ancestors, as snakes can be poisonous, and avoiding them meant you lived to survive another day. Cultural influences may also contribute to the fear—evil serpents appear in major ancient religions and myths.
Trypanophobia: Fear of Needles
Individuals who suffer from trypanophobia have an irrational fear of needles or injections. They might dread going to the doctor and refuse to get vaccines or anesthesia. This phobia can be a danger to those who have it because they may avoid life-saving medical treatments if they involve needles or injections.
Claustrophobia: Fear of Enclosed Spaces
Panic can ensue when claustrophobic people feel stuck or trapped in a small space. Around 5% of people suffer from claustrophobia. It includes symptoms like difficulty breathing or a fear of running out of oxygen. They may feel claustrophobic in any confined space or situation, such as an airplane, a shopping mall, or a crowded elevator.
Mysophobia: Fear of Germs
Mysophobia is an excessive fear of germs and dirt. People with mysophobia become preoccupied with cleaning and compulsive hand-washing. They will avoid places or situations that they think might be dirty. People without the phobia often have a hard time understanding the sufferer because the supposed dangers are almost impossible to identify.
Trypophobia: Fear of Circle Clusters
This phobia might seem silly and unusual at first, but it is shared by up to 15% of people. Trypophobia is a fear of circular clusters or small holes, and it is thought to be related to human evolution. Circle clusters resemble animal hives or infectious diseases like measles and smallpox, which were all deadly to humans in the past.
At the end of the day, no one is totally fearless. Some fears fade, others evolve, and a few tend to stick around. It's all about learning to coexist with your fears.
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