aporriptophobia 

the fear of rejection. comes from the greek word aporripto meaning reject and the greek word phobia meaning fear. basically someone who is aporriptophobic is afraid to try out or apply for something, for fear of getting rejected. this is usually the case no matter how confident the individual should be.

Person 1: Dude, why hasn't he asked her out yet?
Person 2: I think he has aporriptophobia.
Person 1: What??
Person 2: He's afraid she'll reject him

aporriptophobia by interestingconcept November 1, 2008

Aporriptophobia 

Aporriptophobia is the fear of getting rejected by someone, usually your crush who doesn't find you attractive and just rejects you harshly

Noah: Come on dude you gotta ask her out
Liam: Just give me a sec-
Noah: Dude she's going to walk right past you any moment now
Liam: You don't get it, I have Apporiptophobia
Noah: WTF is Apporiptophobia you made it up
Liam: It means the fear of being rejected
Noah: Just try it, pleasee
Liam: Ok, fine
Liam: Uhmm uhh h-hey Olivia
Olivia: What's up?
Liam: I was wondering if you uhmm uhhh, how do I explain it uhhh (DEEP BREATHES) I WAS WONDERING IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO GO ON A DATE WITH ME
Olivia: Ohhhh Liam that's sweet of you but you are not my type-
Liam: *Dies from Aporriptophobia*
Noah: WHAT THE FUCK HAVE YOU DONE TO HIM
Olivia: I-I DID NOTHING
Noah: YOU FUCKING REJECTED HIM NOW HE'S DEAD
Olivia: I-I DIDN'T KNOW THAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN
Noah: YOU SHOULD HAVE ACCEPTED HIM AS YOUR BOYFRIEND THAT WAY HE WOULDN'T HAVE TO DIE
Olivia: IM SORRY IM SORRY
Noah: It's too late now he's dead because of you he even has Apporiptophobia.
Olivia: WTF is that?
Noah: YOU FUCKING PIECE OF SHIT
Olivia: IM SORRY IM SORRY
Liam's ghost: Y O U F U C K I N G P I E C E O F S H I T!!!!! N O W D̴̛̥͛̇́̓̚͠ ̴͉̱̥͈̹͍̭̠̆̒̿͂̀͆͒̓̾̿̍̔̀̍͘͜I ̱͛͋͂̕͝ ̭̟̭̎Ę̶̨̼̼̲͙̫̫̐!!!!
Olivia: AHHHH AHH AHH Ä̶͍̞̘̠͍̗͎́̾͊ͅH ̢̡̛̣̥̖̳͉̥̯̣̞͕̱̳̟̍̓͛͛̓͊̌̀̕̚ͅH ̧͉͈͚̼̪̟͎͖̳̹̩̰̲̃̌́̔̎̓̒́̅͝H̵̠͈̫͕͕̀̀́̊̏͛̌̿̎́͝͝͠

Aporriptophobia by The Takis Boy April 14, 2022

Apoaristophobia

Apoaristophobia

Noun | Pronunciation: /ˌæp.oʊˌæ.rɪs.toʊˈfoʊ.bi.ə/

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Definition:
Apoaristophobia is the intense fear of not being the best, of being ordinary,of mediocrity, or of losing your edge in a competitive or performance-driven environment. It’s more than just a fear of failure; it’s the existential dread of mediocrity.
People with apoaristophobia aren’t just trying to win. They experience real psychological distress if they aren’t the best, the strongest, the smartest, or the most elite among their peers. This fear is often linked to perfectionism, hyper-competitiveness, or a self-identity deeply tied to achievement.

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Origin:

Coined in 2025 by Abhay, an Orthotenic Mashochist , Nihilist and Philosopher, the term derives from Greek roots:

apo- meaning “away from”

aristo- meaning “best”

-phobia meaning “fear”

Literally, it means the fear of being away from the best, or simply, the fear of not being the best.

Related terms:

Atelophobia (fear of imperfection)

Atychiphobia (fear of failure)

Perfectionism

Overachiever syndrome

Competitive anxiety

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Author:

Coined by Abhay, 2025
Instagram: @Vicious.Kratos
Pinterest: ViciousKratos
Reddit: u/DaddyKratos01

Examples:

1. He didn’t care about just passing the test — apoaristophobia made him obsess over being the top scorer.

2. Her workout routine wasn’t just for health; it was a way to fight apoaristophobia with every painful rep.

3. Playing chess with him is intense — apoaristophobia turns the game into a battlefield.

Apoaristophobia by ViciousKratos August 21, 2025

Apoaristophobia

Apoaristophobia

Noun | Pronunciation: /ˌæp.oʊˌæ.rɪs.toʊˈfoʊ.bi.ə/

---

Definition:
Apoaristophobia is the intense fear of not being the best, of being ordinary,of mediocrity, or of losing your edge in a competitive or performance-driven environment. It’s more than just a fear of failure; it’s the existential dread of mediocrity.
People with apoaristophobia aren’t just trying to win. They experience real psychological distress if they aren’t the best, the strongest, the smartest, or the most elite among their peers. This fear is often linked to perfectionism, hyper-competitiveness, or a self-identity deeply tied to achievement.

----

Origin:

Coined in 2025 by Abhay, an Orthotenic Mashochist , Nihilist and Philosopher, the term derives from Greek roots:

apo- meaning “away from”

aristo- meaning “best”

-phobia meaning “fear”

Literally, it means the fear of being away from the best, or simply, the fear of not being the best.

Related terms:

Atelophobia (fear of imperfection)

Atychiphobia (fear of failure)

Perfectionism

Overachiever syndrome

Competitive anxiety

---

Author:

Coined by Abhay, 2025
Instagram: @Vicious.Kratos
Pinterest: ViciousKratos
Reddit: u/DaddyKratos01

Examples:

1. He didn’t care about just passing the test — apoaristophobia made him obsess over being the top scorer.

2. Her workout routine wasn’t just for health; it was a way to fight apoaristophobia with every painful rep.

3. Playing chess with him is intense — apoaristophobia turns the game into a battlefield.

Apoaristophobia by ViciousKratos August 21, 2025