tanatofobia
/tanatoˈfobja/feminine
The English word 'thanatophobia' is translated into Spanish as tanatofobia.
tanatofobia refers to the fear of death.
Meaning: fear of death (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
As a feminine noun, tanatofobia is preceded by the feminine article la when used with a definite article (e.g., la tanatofobia).
How do you pronounce it?
/tanatoˈfobja/
Did you know?
- The word tanatofobia shares its root with Tánatos, the Greek personification of death, who in mythology is the twin brother of Hipnos, the god of sleep.
- In Spanish, the concept of death is often personified as La Parca, a figure similar to the 'Grim Reaper', and someone suffering from tanatofobia might fear this specific entity rather than just the biological process.
- The term tanatofobia shares its root with the Spanish word tanatopraxia, which is the professional practice of preparing a deceased person for a funeral.
Examples in context
- El paciente sufre de thanatofobia, lo que le provoca ansiedad extrema ante la idea de su propia muerte.The patient suffers from thanatophobia, which causes extreme anxiety at the idea of their own death.
- La tanatofobia es un miedo muy intenso.Thanatophobia is a very intense fear.
- Ella sufre de tanatofobia desde hace años.She has suffered from thanatophobia for years.
- El psicólogo explicó qué es la tanatofobia.The psychologist explained what thanatophobia is.
Example conversation
Two friends are discussing a psychology documentary.
- Elena¿Es la tanatofobia un trastorno común?Is thanatophobia a common disorder?
- MateoSí, muchas personas la padecen.Yes, many people suffer from it.
- ElenaMateo, me parece un tema muy serio.Mateo, I think it is a very serious topic.
- MateoTienes razón, Elena, es algo profundo.You are right, Elena, it is something deep.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “thanatophobia” translations and entries tanatofobia, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
