Fygophobia

Cover image for the Fygophobia word card on the Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows

Fygophobia

n.
the fear that your connections with people will keep dwindling as you get older; that one by one, you’ll all go flying off the merry-go-round in wildly different directions, sailing through various classes and jobs and interests, ultimately landing in far-flung neighborhoods where you’ll hunker down with your families plus a handful of confidants you see a few times a year, perpetually reassuring each other, “We should keep in touch.”

Greek φύγω (fýgo), I leave + -φοβία (-phobía), fear. Compare the Greek φυγόκεντρος (fygókentros), centrifuge. Pronounced “fahy-goh-foh-bee-uh.”

Heartmoor

a campfire with a kettle many small logs

Rialtoscuro

a blurry image of a light source

Vellichor

shelves with many books stacked and organized

Nighthawk

Cover image for the Nighthawk word card on the Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows

Aoyaoia

a person holding a guitar

Ioia

Cover image for the Ioia word card on the Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows