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

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Etymology

Origin of misophonia

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

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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

He said he developed misophonia during puberty, and then several years later, misokinesia.

From BBC ● Dec. 13, 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

Kumar found this connection became most active in participants with misophonia when they heard triggers specific to the condition.

From Scientific American ● Sep. 8, 2021

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