claustrophobic

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

Updated on: 15 Apr 2018

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

The Serbian mine is terrifyingly claustrophobic; the muddy shores in Suriname couldn’t be more open-air.

— ben kenigsberg, New York Times, "Review: In ‘Good Luck,’ Miners in Serbia and Suriname Share a Cinematic Link," 5 Apr. 2018
Conditions can be claustrophobic and animals might get tossed around inside their crates or freak out from strange noises and dark isolation, even suffering anxiety to the point of cardiac arrest.

— gerard baker, WSJ, "The 10-Point.," 21 Mar. 2018
Using a large-format digital camera, Campigotto captures stunning images of sites ranging from the glowing Shanghai skyline to claustrophobic Hong Kong apartment towers to Beijing’s futuristic architecture.

— michael hardy, WIRED, "The Stunning Skylines of China's Megacities," 27 Mar. 2018
This confirmed Alice’s growing discomfort with their claustrophobic intimacy, and freaked her out.

— naomi fry, The New Yorker, "“Tangerine”: A Début Novel That Delights in Excess," 24 Mar. 2018
The claustrophobic drama, which opens Friday in Los Angeles, centers on 2nd Lt.

— jeffrey fleishman, latimes.com, "In 'Journey's End,' soldiers reminisce and wait to die in the muddy trenches of World War I," 15 Mar. 2018
The show at Yummi takes place in a dining room of claustrophobic closeness, with tables crowded together.

— mike sutter, San Antonio Express-News, "Review: Yummi delivers with sushi, ramen and rockin’ rolls," 15 Mar. 2018
From there things get big, with contrasting patches of openness and claustrophobic layers of sound.

— john adamian, courant.com, "Miguel To Perform At College Street Music Hall," 10 Mar. 2018
Finley originally wrote Thoroughbreds as a stage play, and that comes through in the claustrophobic, contained shots and minimal locations.

— anne cohen, refinery29.com, "Thoroughbreds Review: Putting The Society Back In Sociopath," 7 Mar. 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

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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