Erotophobia is the fear of marriage or romantic relationships. Many bachelors, especially older ones, are sometimes thought to be erotophobes. The word erotophobia is derived from the name of Eros, the Greek god of romantic love.

Erotophobia is sometimes thought to be caused by strict standards for a marriage mate, overjudging of physical appearance, age limit in marriage in connection with the fear of aging (gerontophobia ). Some claim feminist attitudes can form into erotophobia, though this is thought to be unsubstantiated, since there have been no studies to back this up, and that many feminists say nothing about being fearful or hesitant towards relationships.

Erotophobia sometimes involves a negative attitude toward anything related to sexuality, such as dating, touching, nudity, romantic books and motion pictures, attending marriage ceremonies, homosexuality, contraception, et cetera. The fear of sexually transmitted diseases such as AIDS sometimes can lead to erotophobia.

See also: love-shyness, Marriage strike