pithecophobia means the denial of or a discomfort with the scientific notion that humans evolved from apes. It carries an Arena rating of 1223, earned across 6 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, pithecophobia ranks #1,140 of 17,163 for Funniest Words, #2,236 of 17,131 for Scariest Words, #2,757 of 17,138 for Most Incisive Words, #3,424 of 17,132 for Most Betrayed by Its Sound.
Why “pithecophobia” is a great word
Pithecophobia is the irrational fear of apes or monkeys, or the profound discomfort with humanity's evolutionary kinship to other primates. From the combining form pitheco- (from Greek pithēkos, meaning "ape" or "monkey") + -phobia (from Greek phobos, meaning "fear"). Coined in 1927 by American zoologist William King Gregory. Unlike the broad intellectual rejection of "evolutionary denial" or the generalized animal dread of "zoophobia," pithecophobia is a specific, existential shudder at a particular branch of the family tree. It is the Victorian gentleman averting his gaze from the orangutan's contemplative stare, the museum visitor hurrying past the skeleton that stands too nearly upright, the sudden comprehension of one's own reflection in the wrinkled, knowing face across the zoo enclosure—a primal disquiet at the wild ancestor staring back from the mirror of deep time.
Etymology
From pitheco- + phobia. Coined by American zoologist William King Gregory (1876–1970) in an 1927 article in Science (see quotation).
noun
- The denial of or a discomfort with the scientific notion that humans evolved from apes.
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
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