Word
claustrophobic
Phoneticsclaus·tro·pho·bic
US/ˌkɫɔstɹəˈfoʊbɪk/
UK/klˌɒstɹəfˈəʊbɪk/
Definition
adj. feeling very nervous or scared when you are in a small, closed space. It can also describe a place that feels too small and crowded for you.
adj. characterised by a feeling of being trapped or confined in a small space; also describes a person suffering from claustrophobia, a fear of enclosed spaces.
Examples
“The small elevator feels very claustrophobic.”
“Many people find the narrow corridors of the old subway system claustrophobic during rush hour.”
“The protagonist's claustrophobic anxiety is mirrored by the film's tight framing and the use of low ceilings to create a sense of suffocation.”
Examples
simple
“The small elevator feels very claustrophobic.”
contextual
“Many people find the narrow corridors of the old subway system claustrophobic during rush hour.”
complex
“The protagonist's claustrophobic anxiety is mirrored by the film's tight framing and the use of low ceilings to create a sense of suffocation.”
Real-World Examples
“When particularly disliked opponents arrive, it can all feel loudly claustrophobic.” “I’ve also loved reading The Empusium , an equally claustrophobic book by Olga Tokarczuk which, thrillingly, is described as “a health resort horror story” on the cover.” Etymology
From claustrophobia + -ic.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Domain
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/claustrophobic