claustrophobia

noun

claus·​tro·​pho·​bia ˌklȯ-strə-ˈfō-bē-ə How to pronounce claustrophobia (audio)
1
: abnormal dread of being in closed or narrow spaces
2
: a feeling of discomfort or discontent caused by being in a limiting or restrictive situation or environment
While recovering in the hospital, she recognizes the claustrophobia of her working-class life, shared with a suffocatingly affectionate mother and a dud of a dad.Barbara Tritel
claustrophobe noun

Examples of claustrophobia in a Sentence

She doesn't go in elevators because of her claustrophobia. the claustrophobia of small-town life
Recent Examples on the Web Despite debuting 125 years ago, Anton Chekhov’s drama of claustrophobia, resentment and despair feels perfectly suited to present day America. Jon Robin Baitz, New York Times, 21 Mar. 2024 Cowperthwaite doesn’t do enough with the inherent claustrophobia of the space station, though the visuals are on point, from a harrowing space walk to fix an antenna to conditions on Earth that become increasingly hellish. Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, 17 Jan. 2024 Director Ridley Scott embraces the claustrophobia, embedding his Xenomorph into the fabric of the ship and, by extension, our nightmares. Randall Colburn, EW.com, 9 Nov. 2023 The claustrophobia is palpable and perfectly executed as hot mess express Andri watches his investigation and his personal relationships unravel. David Faris, theweek, 14 Jan. 2024 Being a woman of color in a predominantly white, rural town had always weighed on her, but a recent job loss and serious car crash had made the claustrophobia a new type of unbearable. Lauren Peace, Orlando Sentinel, 2 Jan. 2024 This adds to Toni, Franz and Bo’s feelings of claustrophobia. Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 19 Dec. 2023 For a moment, panic and claustrophobia swelled within me. Dhruv Khullar, The New Yorker, 12 Jan. 2024 The mountain air and the escape from the competitive claustrophobia of Paris seemed to liberate Picasso. Sebastian Smee, Washington Post, 10 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'claustrophobia.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, from Latin claustrum + New Latin -phobia

First Known Use

1879, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of claustrophobia was in 1879

Dictionary Entries Near claustrophobia

Cite this Entry

“Claustrophobia.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/claustrophobia. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

claustrophobia

noun
claus·​tro·​pho·​bia ˌklȯ-strə-ˈfō-bē-ə How to pronounce claustrophobia (audio)
: abnormal fear of being in closed or narrow spaces
claustrophobic
-ˈfō-bik
adjective

Medical Definition

claustrophobia

noun
claus·​tro·​pho·​bia ˌklȯ-strə-ˈfō-bē-ə How to pronounce claustrophobia (audio)
: abnormal dread of being in closed or narrow spaces

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