Coulrophobia is the fear of clowns. It is a type of specific phobia, which is an anxiety disorder that is characterised by a persistent and excessive fear of a specific object or situation. People with coulrophobia may experience a range of physical and emotional symptoms when they encounter clowns, such as:

• Sweating
• Trembling
• Rapid heartbeat
• Shortness of breath
• Nausea
• Dizziness
• Feeling faint
• Panic attacks
• Fear of being attacked
• Fear of being harmed
• Fear of being laughed at

Coulrophobia is a relatively common phobia. It is estimated that up to 1 in 10 people have some degree of fear of clowns.

There are a number of reasons why people might develop coulrophobia. Some people may have had a negative experience with clowns in the past, such as being scared by a clown at a birthday party. Others may have learned to fear clowns from their parents or other caregivers.