climacophobia

climacophobia

English

Etymology

From Ancient Greek κλῖμαξ (klîmax, “ladder, staircase”) + New Latin -phobia, from Ancient Greek φόβος (phóbos, “fear”).

Noun

climacophobia (uncountable)

1. The fear of staircases or of falling down stairs.
   • 1965, Charles M. Schulz, A Charlie Brown Christmas, 05:46-05:51:

     Lucy: Are you afraid of staircases? If you are, then you have climacophobia.
     

   • 2001 August 16, Leigh Butler, “TAN: Phobias (was Re: TAN: Summer Reading recommendations)”, in rec.arts.sf.written.robert-jordan, Usenet‎:

     I myself have recently developed mild climacophobia (fear of falling downstairs). Don't know why, but I'm convinced that someday I'll fall down a flight of stairs and hurt myself badly.

   • 2004, Natalie Kristina Goldstraw, “Phobos”, in Superlative: Echoes of the Postmodern Condition, Trafford Publishing, →ISBN, page 103:

     I once knew a tall kyphophobic man,
     Who was sick of stooping so low;
     Sadly he developed climacophobia,
     When he moved from his bungalow.

Synonyms

• bathmophobia