claustrophobic

adjective

claus·​tro·​pho·​bic ˌklȯ-strə-ˈfō-bik How to pronounce claustrophobic (audio)
1
: affected with or inclined to claustrophobia
2
: inducing or suggesting claustrophobia
claustrophobically adverb

Examples of claustrophobic in a Sentence

The theater can be a little claustrophobic when it's full. She doesn't go in elevators because she is claustrophobic.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Leave it to Cage’s maniacal intensity to make a sunny, wide-open seaside locale feel claustrophobic. Savannah Salazar, Vulture, 3 May 2025 Most of the action takes place aboard the train itself, leading to claustrophobic tension and mayhem, as passengers fight to survive, battling not only the zombies but other passengers to make their way to safety. Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 3 May 2025 The images are nicely composed and dramatically lighted, with bright, sometimes moody big-sky exteriors that suggest freedom and many interior scenes pushed to claustrophobic darkness. Manohla Dargis, New York Times, 1 May 2025 The kinetic staging, while keeping the action from becoming claustrophobic, sometimes oversteps the mark. Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 28 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for claustrophobic

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1889, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of claustrophobic was circa 1889

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Claustrophobic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/claustrophobic. Accessed 19 May. 2025.

Medical Definition

claustrophobic

1 of 2 adjective
claus·​tro·​pho·​bic ˌklȯ-strə-ˈfō-bik How to pronounce claustrophobic (audio)
1
: suffering from or inclined to claustrophobia
2
: inducing or suggesting claustrophobia
claustrophobically adverb

claustrophobic

2 of 2 noun

More from Merriam-Webster on claustrophobic

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!