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 ( see -phony ( def. )); coined by audiologists Pawel J. and Margaret M. Jastreboff in 2001

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

misophonia

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 ● Dec. 23, 2025

Often people reported some overlap with another more recognised condition called misophonia - an intense dislike of others people's noises, such as heavy breathing or loud eating.

From BBC ● Dec. 12, 2024

I live with someone who has misophonia, and there are certain sounds she simply cannot tolerate, through no fault of her own.

From New York Times ● May 14, 2023

Some people have a condition called misophonia, which triggers intense reactions to certain sounds.

From The Verge ● Nov. 9, 2021

“This is the first breakthrough in misophonia research in 25 years,” says psychologist Jennifer J. Brout, who directs the International Misophonia Research Network and was not involved in the new study.

From Scientific American ● Sep. 8, 2021