In the following question, out of the four alternatives, choose the one which can be substituted for the given words sentence. Fe…

Question

In the following question, out of the four alternatives, choose the one which can be substituted for the given words sentence. Fear of ugliness.

1. A. Hydrophobia
2. B. Cacophobia (Correct answer)
3. C. Arachnophobia
4. D. Acrophobia

Correct Answer

Option B — Cacophobia

Detailed Solution & Explanation

The correct answer is Cacophobia.

Key Points

• Cacophobia is the fear of ugliness, from Greek *kakos* meaning bad or ugly.
• The distractors name different fears:
  • Hydrophobia — fear of water (*hydro*)
  • Arachnophobia — fear of spiders (*arachne*)
  • Acrophobia — fear of heights (*acro*, meaning height or summit)

Additional Information

• The Greek root kakos also gives cacophony, literally "bad sound" — a useful bridge if the phobia itself is unfamiliar.
• Phobias that recur in SSC papers: claustrophobia (enclosed spaces), agoraphobia (open or public places), nyctophobia (darkness), xenophobia (foreigners), ophidiophobia (snakes), pyrophobia (fire), thanatophobia (death).
• The matching -philia suffix denotes fondness: bibliophile (books), anglophile (England), cinephile (cinema).
• Learning the root rather than the whole word lets you decode unfamiliar terms — *acro-* also appears in acrobat and acropolis.