Ergophobia defined
Definitions for ergophobia:
- an abnormal fear of work; an aversion to work.
Citations for ergophobia
He was examined by Dr. Wilson, who diagnosed the disease which had attacked him as ergophobia, (fear of work.) , “Bad Case of Ergophobia,” New York Times, October 13, 1907
Doctor, I thank thee for the name / That dignifies my soul’s complaint, / That silences the voice of blame, / That frees me from the toiler’s taint, / That lets me loaf the livelong day– / Thrice blessed ergophobia! Ross Ellis, “Ergophobia,” Munsey’s Magazine, Volume LV, June to September, 1915
Origin of ergophobia
Ergophobia, “abnormal fear of or aversion to work,” is formed from two Greek nouns commonly used to form words in English: érgon “work” and the combining form -phobía “fear.” Greek dialects preserve the original form wérgon, which comes directly from Proto-Indo-European wérgom, the source of Germanic werkam (English work). The combining form -phobía is a derivative of phóbos “flight, fear, panic fear,” from Proto-Indo-European bhógwos, a derivative of the root bhegw- “to run,” which appears in Slavic (Polish) biegać “to run.” Ergophobia entered English in the early 20th century.
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