claustrophobic

[klaw-struh-foh-bik]

adjective

1. relating to, having, or experiencing claustrophobia.

2. tending to induce claustrophobia.

   a small, airless, claustrophobic room.

claustrophobic

/ ˌklɒs-, ˌklɔːstrəˈfəʊbɪk /

adjective

1. suffering from claustrophobia

2. unpleasantly cramped, confined, or closed in

   narrow claustrophobic spaces

Other Word Forms

• claustrophobically adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of claustrophobic¹

First recorded in 1885–90; claustrophob(ia), + -ic ( def. ) -phobic ( def. )

Example Sentences

If Grizzly Bear’s early years were about convergence — four young men building a sound that felt both communal and claustrophobic, this chapter is about calibration: finding equilibrium after a long season apart.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

“Her trauma, it’s nearly claustrophobic and weighs you down, which I tried to embody in her when people get too close. It’s like this injection of fear,” the actor says of her Apple TV+ series.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

With “The Extra” she has written a nearly perfect, claustrophobic novella with a very effective countdown clock: Not all of Matt’s group can fit into the van for the ride back.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

At first, the attention is thrilling, then it becomes claustrophobic.

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Despite its subterranean setting, it does not feel claustrophobic.

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Related Words

• confined 
• cramped 
• enclosed 
• limited 

When To Use

What does claustrophobic mean?

Claustrophobic is used to describe a person who has feelings of claustrophobia—the fear of being in (and not being able to get out of) small or confined spaces, such as tunnels, elevators, and crowded rooms.Claustrophobic is also commonly used to describe confined spaces that may make people feel this way.Claustrophobia is recognized as a psychological disorder and is often considered a kind of anxiety disorder. Those who are diagnosed with it often experience extreme anxiety when in confined spaces or when facing the possibility of being in one, which can result in a panic attack. But the word claustrophobia is also commonly used in a more general way to refer to the anxious discomfort that many people feel when they’re in an enclosed space. (In this way, many people’s feelings of claustrophobia don’t constitute a disorder.) Claustrophobic is also commonly used in this general way.Phobias are fears associated with specific objects or activities. These abnormal (unusual) fears are typically considered irrational (not based on reason) because the object of the fear isn’t usually harmful. Often, these fears are formed around a traumatic event.People who are claustrophobic were once commonly referred to with the term claustrophobe, and some may still identify in this way, but this and many other similar labels based on medical conditions are often considered dehumanizing. It is now typically preferred to avoid the use of the word claustrophobe and focus on the person first instead of their condition, as in Kevin is claustrophobic or Kevin has claustrophobia (not Kevin is a claustrophobe).Example: I try to avoid even getting near tight spaces that may make me feel claustrophobic.