agoraphobia

play

noun ag·o·ra·pho·bia \ ˌa-g(ə-)rə-ˈfō-bē-ə \

Definition of agoraphobia

:abnormal fear of being helpless in a situation from which escape may be difficult or embarrassing that is characterized initially often by panic or anticipatory anxiety and finally by the avoidance of open or public places

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agoraphobe

play \ˈa-g(ə-)rə-ˌfōb\ noun

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agoraphobic

play \-ˈfō-bik\ adjective or noun

See agoraphobia defined for English-language learners

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Examples of agoraphobia in a Sentence

a patient suffering from agoraphobia

Recent Examples of agoraphobia from the Web

The attack came from Kenny’s agoraphobia, a condition that leaves her with a fear of her environment and makes travel immensely difficult.

— craig cavallo, CNT, "How an Agoraphobe Photographs the World Through Google Street View," 11 Aug. 2017
Richards, seated in a wheelchair at the hearing, has significant mental health problems including agoraphobia - fear of leaving one's house - obsessive compulsive disorder and anxiety disorder, court documents show.

— CBS News, "Sandy Hook shooting conspiracy theorist sentenced for threat," 8 June 2017
According to the psychological report, Richards was diagnosed with agoraphobia, an anxiety disorder that often includes fear of open spaces, and obsessive compulsive disorder and has been under the care of mental health experts for much of her life.

— paula mcmahon, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Five months in prison for woman who sent death threats to dad of Sandy Hook victim," 7 June 2017
Ativan is the brand name for lorazepam,a benzodiazepine, that is used to treat anxiety, drug withdrawal, agoraphobia and seizure disorders, among other things.

— martha ross, The Mercury News, "Was Chris Cornell taking ‘the world’s deadliest’ prescription medication?," 19 May 2017
She's also besieged by her mother, Cynthia (Margaret Kusterman), whose agoraphobia keeps her from shopping at the A&P.

— kerry reid, chicagotribune.com, "'Firebirds' tells the real-life story of cheerleaders afflicted by mystery illness," 27 Apr. 2017
These are not people simply suffering from depression or anxiety or agoraphobia.

— abigail tracy, The Hive, "House G.O.P. Overturns Rule Restricting Mentally Ill People from Buying Guns," 3 Feb. 2017
These are not people simply suffering from depression or anxiety or agoraphobia.

— vanityfair.com, "House G.O.P. Overturns Rule Restricting Mentally Ill People from Buying Guns," 3 Feb. 2017
These are not people simply suffering from depression or anxiety or agoraphobia.

— abigail tracy, The Hive, "House G.O.P. Overturns Rule Restricting Mentally Ill People from Buying Guns," 3 Feb. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'agoraphobia.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Did You Know?

The agora was the marketplace in ancient Greece; thus, agoraphobia often involves fear of public places and crowds. But it also may involve fear of being in shops, or even fear of being in open spaces, or fear of traveling alone. It may also be a fear of experiencing some uncontrollable or embarrassing event (like fainting) in the presence of others with no help available. Agoraphobia can be hard to understand for those who don't suffer from it, especially because it can take so many different forms, but it is often a serious and socially crippling condition.