An abnormal fear of death is called which term?

• A. glossophobia
• B. thanatophobia
• C. necrophobia
• D. arachnophobia

Answer: (B)

Fear names often come from Greek roots, with the thing feared combined with a phobia ending. The abnormal fear of death is thanatophobia, from thanatos (death) and phobos (fear), which directly targets death itself. Necrophobia, by contrast, is the fear of dead bodies or things related to death, a related but different focus. The other two terms describe fears unrelated to death—glossophobia is fear of public speaking, and arachnophobia is fear of spiders. So thanatophobia best fits the concept of fearing death itself.