ENGLISH
REFERENCE

claustrophobic

adj.
B2 Upper Intermediate US //ˌkɫɔstɹəˈfoʊbɪk// UK //klˌɒstɹəfˈəʊbɪk// claus·tro·pho·bic

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.


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.

Origin

From claustrophobia + -ic.

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