claustrophobic
Americanadjective
-
relating to, having, or experiencing claustrophobia.
-
tending to induce claustrophobia.
a small, airless, claustrophobic room.
adjective
-
suffering from claustrophobia
-
unpleasantly cramped, confined, or closed in
narrow claustrophobic spaces
Usage
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.
Other Word Forms
- claustrophobically adverb
Etymology
Origin of claustrophobic
First recorded in 1885–90; claustrophob(ia), + -ic ( def. ) -phobic ( def. )
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
I remember worrying about getting claustrophobic in the machine; that was what I considered a major medical issue.
From Slate • Mar. 29, 2026
“Amongst Women” depicts this claustrophobic domain in restrained prose that is infused with tension when Moran marries again.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 9, 2026
"I'm quite uncomfortable with accents in general - they kind of hinder me, and I feel quite claustrophobic," she said, adding "Brummie was never a conversation."
From BBC • Mar. 2, 2026
The bridge will be a less time-consuming, less claustrophobic way of moving about the airport.
From Slate • Nov. 24, 2025
We’d rolled the windows down — the Suburban was a bit claustrophobic with nine people in it — and I tried to absorb as much sunlight as possible.
From "Twilight" by Stephenie Meyer
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
