noun
claustrophobia
klos-truh-FOH-bee-uh
noun
1
An intense, irrational fear of small or enclosed spaces.
"Her claustrophobia made the crowded elevator unbearable."
"He avoided caving trips because of his claustrophobia."
How to Use Claustrophobia
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishFear of being shut in or trapped in a tight space.
Common mistake
Don't mix it up with agoraphobia, which is fear of open or public spaces — the opposite kind of trigger.
Easily confused with
agoraphobia
Word Forms
claustrophobias plural
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Etymology
Built from Latin claustrum ("a locked or enclosed place") plus the Greek-derived suffix -phobia ("fear"); first recorded in medical writing in the 1870s.