claustrophobic

adjective claus·tro·pho·bic \ ˌklȯs-trə-ˈfō-bik \

|Updated on: 23 Jun 2018

Examples: claustrophobic in a Sentence

Definition of claustrophobic

1 : affected with or inclined to claustrophobia

2 : inducing or suggesting claustrophobia

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claustrophobically

play \-bi-k(ə-)lē\ adverb

See claustrophobic defined for English-language learners

Examples of claustrophobic in a Sentence

The theater can be a little claustrophobic when it's full.
She doesn't go in elevators because she is claustrophobic.

Recent Examples of claustrophobic from the Web

From Byron to Mary Shelley to Balzac, one of the great themes developed by the romantic writers was the claustrophobic, stultifying nature of family life.

— lee siegel, WSJ, "A Portrait of the Artist as a Great Father," 15 June 2018
Cinematically, its shots tend to feel claustrophobic or just slightly off-kilter.

— allison p. davis, The Cut, "Is Hereditary Really As Scary As Everyone Says?," 11 June 2018
There are times when the narrative stalls a bit, turning visually static rather than effectively claustrophobic.

— michael phillips, latimes.com, "Jodie Foster patches the wounded in lively future-crime saga 'Hotel Artemis'," 8 June 2018
There are times when the narrative stalls a bit, turning visually static rather than effectively claustrophobic.

— michael phillips, chicagotribune.com, "'Hotel Artemis': Sterling K. Brown checks into Criminal Hospital, and Jodie Foster's on duty," 7 June 2018
Triffle also designed the set, an appropriately claustrophobic tunnel that leads to nowhere except doom.

— amy wang | the oregonian/oregonlive, OregonLive.com, "Arts picks: 'Hedwig and the Angry Inch,' 'LAX/PDX' art show, 'Fallout' play, more," 6 June 2018
The high-visibility canopy, with minimal structural obstructions, is a further boon for situational awareness, and according to Gensse, eliminates the claustrophobic feeling that comes with many cockpits.

— eric adams, WIRED, "Airbus' H160 Helicopter Helps Save Pilots from Their Own Mistakes," 31 May 2018
The geography of the boat is dynamic and multi-faceted, never claustrophobic.

— katie walsh, Detroit Free Press, "Review: ‘Adrift’ is the tale of a young woman and the sea," 31 May 2018
Now if only someone could make the lavatory less claustrophobic.

— emily matchar, Smithsonian, "Seven Airplane Innovations That Could Change How We Travel," 30 May 2018

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

First Known Use of claustrophobic

circa 1889

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

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CLAUSTROPHOBIC Defined for English Language Learners

claustrophobic

adjective

Definition of claustrophobic for English Language Learners

of a room, space, etc. : not having enough space for people to feel comfortable : causing claustrophobia
: having a fear of being in closed or small spaces : having claustrophobia
: not having or providing enough freedom