Coulrophobia's abnormal or exaggerated fear of clowns. The term's common, but it doesn't appear to be used in psychology. It's common among children, but's also sometimes found in teenagers and adults as well. Sufferers sometimes acquire a fear of clowns after having a bad experience with one personally, or seeing a sinister portrayal of one in the media. A design study carried out by the University of Sheffield found that children are frightened by clown-themed décor in hospitals. Coulroph… (More on Coulrophobia)