claustrophobic
claustrophobic — adjective
1. describes a room, building, or other enclosed space that is so small or narrow t
describes a room, building, or other enclosed space that is so small or narrow that being inside it makes people feel uneasy or anxious.
The windowless basement office felt so claustrophobic that Yara asked to work from the café.
claustrophobic + felt → describing a space's psychological effect
Ravi took the stairs instead of the narrow, claustrophobic lift in his apartment building.
claustrophobic + noun → attributive use
A small, claustrophobic changing room at the beach made the children feel anxious.
The back seat of the old car was cramped and claustrophobic for three passengers.
Even the spacious lobby felt claustrophobic to Mira once the crowd filled every corner.
文法句型
claustrophobic + noun (room, lift, office)
feel/look/seem + claustrophobic
用法筆記
This sense describes only places or spaces, not people. Compare with sense 2, which describes a person's condition. Common with verbs like 'feel', 'look', or 'seem' — for example, 'the room feels claustrophobic.'
常見錯誤
2. describes someone who experiences strong anxiety or panic when inside small, enc
describes someone who experiences strong anxiety or panic when inside small, enclosed areas such as elevators, tunnels, or windowless rooms.
Yusuf is claustrophobic, so he always books an aisle seat on long flights.
person + is claustrophobic → describing a permanent trait
The MRI technician asked whether Nadia was claustrophobic before the scan began.
Because Wen is claustrophobic, she chose a bus over the subway for her daily commute.
Amara told the tour guide she was claustrophobic and could not enter the cave.
Rashida is so claustrophobic that she never uses public elevators, even on the tenth floor.
- afraid of enclosed spaces
a descriptive phrase rather than a single-word synonym; more informal and less clinical
文法句型
be + claustrophobic (permanent trait)
feel + claustrophobic (temporary state)
用法筆記
Can describe either a permanent personality trait ('I am claustrophobic') or a temporary feeling in a specific situation ('I feel claustrophobic in this crowded room'). The object of fear must be a physically enclosed space — not used for abstract situations like being trapped in a boring job.
常見錯誤
claustrophobic — noun
1. a person who experiences claustrophobia — an extreme or irrational fear of being
a person who experiences claustrophobia — an extreme or irrational fear of being in confined or enclosed places such as lifts, tunnels, or crowded rooms.
The hospital installed a glass-walled MRI room to help claustrophobics feel more at ease.
claustrophobics → plural noun referring to people with the condition
Claustrophobics often request window seats on airplanes to feel less trapped.
The tour guide checked if any claustrophobics were in the group before entering the tunnel.
As a claustrophobic, Noa always checks that hotel rooms have windows that open.
文法句型
a + claustrophobic (singular)
claustrophobics (plural)
用法筆記
This noun form is less common than the adjective. It is often replaced by the longer phrase 'a person with claustrophobia' or 'someone who is claustrophobic' in everyday conversation. Usually found in medical, architectural, or travel contexts.
常見錯誤
❌ 'Claustrophobics are afraid of crowded trains.' → This is fine grammatically, but more natural in speech: 'People who are claustrophobic avoid crowded trains.' — the noun form can sound clinical.