agoraphobia

[ ag-er-uh-foh-bee-uh, uh-gawr‐ ]

/ ˌæg ər əˈfoʊ bi ə, əˌgɔr‐ /

Save This Word!

noun Psychiatry.

an irrational or disproportionate fear of being in crowds, public places, or open areas, often accompanied by anxiety attacks: in extreme cases, avoidance behaviors may render affected individuals homebound.

COMPARE COMMONLY CONFUSED WORDS

These are smilar words, and share related meanings, but their uses are very different. Click on the buttons to learn more about these commonly confused words.

QUIZ

ARE YOU A TRUE BLUE CHAMPION OF THESE "BLUE" SYNONYMS?

We could talk until we're blue in the face about this quiz on words for the color "blue," but we think you should take the quiz and find out if you're a whiz at these colorful terms.

Question 1 of 8

Which of the following words describes “sky blue”?

navy

beryl

azure

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Meet Grammar Coach

Write or paste your essay, email, or story into Grammar Coach and get grammar help

Improve Your Writing

Meet Grammar CoachImprove Your Writing

Compare ochlophobia.

Origin of agoraphobia

First recorded in 1870–75; agora¹ + -phobia

Words nearby agoraphobia

a good deal, good egg, a, A good man is hard to find, good many, a, agora, agoraphobia, agoraphobic, Agostini, Agostino di Duccio, agouta, agouti

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

How to use agoraphobia in a sentence

Anna has developed anxiety and agoraphobia due to trauma, the details of which unfurl later in the film but have nothing to do with viruses stalking her west Harlem neighborhood and the rest of the world.
What went wrong with The Woman in the Window?|Alissa Wilkinson|May 14, 2021|Vox
That’s manifested in a range of issues from agoraphobia, eating disorders, depression and insomnia, according to various parents spoken to for this article.
‘It took the heat out of people’s situations’: Agencies provide mental health support for employees’ kids|Jessica Davies|March 5, 2021|Digiday
It talks about her agoraphobia and her diabetes, as well as her recent court testimony, all without judgment or venom.
Paula Deen, Comic Book Hero?|Tricia Romano|September 19, 2013|DAILY BEAST
I put down her immunity to agoraphobia as just another evidence that she was already mad.
Greener Than You Think|Ward Moore

Whistling, he began to stroll down the hall toward the staircase, but midway agoraphobia overcame him, and his nerve broke.
The Ego Machine|Henry Kuttner
Agoraphobia, for instance, is the fear of crossing an open place.
Essays In Pastoral Medicine|Austin Malley
Glare-blindness, gravity-legs, and agoraphobia were excuses for a lot of things, when a man was just back from Big Bottomless.
The Hoofer|Walter M. Miller
The sufferer from agoraphobia cannot bring himself to cross alone an open field or square.
Why Worry?|George Lincoln Walton, M.D.

British Dictionary definitions for agoraphobia

agoraphobia

/ (ˌæɡərəˈfəʊbɪə) /

noun

a pathological fear of being in public places, often resulting in the sufferer becoming housebound

Derived forms of agoraphobia

agoraphobic, adjective, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Medical definitions for agoraphobia

agoraphobia

[ ăg′ər-ə-fō′bē-ə ]

Phobia of open or public places.

Other words from agoraphobia

ag′o•ra•pho′bic adj.