claustrophobic

adjective

claus·​tro·​pho·​bic ˌklȯ-strə-ˈfō-bik 

1

: affected with or inclined to claustrophobia

2

: inducing or suggesting claustrophobia

claustrophobically

ˌklȯ-strə-ˈfō-bi-k(ə-)lē 

adverb

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 on the Web

Four people living in two minivans for 685,000 miles over 10 days, the duration of the Artemis flight, may sound a bit cramped, even claustrophobic. —George Petras, USA Today, 2 Apr. 2026

Yet Nattie — like many of the town’s teenagers — feels confined, because Garberville also feels claustrophobic. —Oline H. Cogdill, Sun Sentinel, 26 Mar. 2026

Each of its claustrophobic acts is named after a hotel, as if the story were being staged in traditional, walled settings. —Hannah Gold, Harpers Magazine, 24 Mar. 2026

The novel begins in the claustrophobic atmosphere of Naxos, an elite (and fictional) boarding school for Black students in Alabama where Helga teaches. —Nicky Marsh, Encyclopedia Britannica, 23 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1889, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for claustrophobic

• anaerobic
• homophobic
• hydrophobic
• aerobic
• phobic

Medical Definition

claustrophobic

1 of 2 adjective

claus·​tro·​pho·​bic ˌklȯ-strə-ˈfō-bik 

1

: suffering from or inclined to claustrophobia

2

: inducing or suggesting claustrophobia

claustrophobically

-bi-k(ə-)lē 

adverb

claustrophobic

2 of 2 noun

: claustrophobe