misophonia

American  

[mees-oh-foh-nee-uh] / mis oʊˈfoʊ ni ə /

noun

1. Psychiatry. a condition characterized by extreme sensitivity and reactivity to specific, typically repetitive and relatively soft sounds, as breathing, chewing, swallowing, clicking, etc..

   In patients with misophonia, an auditory stimulus provoked an immediate physical reaction, with anger, disgust, and sometimes even impulsive aggression.

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Other Word Forms

• misophonic adjective

Etymology

Origin of misophonia

miso- ( def. ) + Greek -phōnia ( -phony ( def. ) ); coined by audiologists Pawel J. and Margaret M. Jastreboff in 2001

Example Sentences

Lottie has suffered from misophonia since she was 16 and for her that makes the festive season "incredibly overwhelming".

From BBC

Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to certain sounds, particularly those made by other people.

From BBC

She says her misophonia is worse around people she's closest to, so Christmas is always "challenging".

From BBC

Jenna, a 21-year-old student, who has struggled with misophonia since aged 10, says currently her plan is to put her earphones in to get through dinner.

From BBC

People often report it overlaps with another more recognised condition called misophonia - an intense dislike of other people's noises, such as heavy breathing or loud eating.

From BBC