1.
social anxiety; fear of interpersonal interaction; intense anxiety about dealing with other people
A strong fear or anxiety centered on interactions with other people. Can range from general social discomfort to the clinical condition known as 対人恐怖症, a culture-bound anxiety disorder recognized in Japanese psychiatry. The core feature is excessive worry about causing offense or discomfort to others.
対人恐怖で悩んでいる。
I'm suffering from social anxiety.
対人恐怖を克服したい。
I want to overcome my social anxiety.
学生時代に対人恐怖がひどく、人前で話すのが苦痛だった。
My social anxiety was severe during my school years, and speaking in front of people was painful.
Combines 対人 (interpersonal, toward people) and 恐怖 (fear, phobia). The full clinical term is 対人恐怖症, but 対人恐怖 is commonly used on its own.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 対人恐怖症: social anxiety disorder (clinical term)
- 対人恐怖を克服する: to overcome social anxiety
- 対人恐怖に悩む: to suffer from social anxiety
- 対人恐怖が強い: to have strong social anxiety
CULTURAL CONTEXT:
対人恐怖症 is recognized as a culture-bound syndrome in Japanese psychiatry. Unlike Western social anxiety disorder, which centers on fear of being judged or embarrassed, 対人恐怖 characteristically involves fear of making others uncomfortable — for example, worry that one's gaze, body odor, or facial expression might bother people around them. This other-directed focus reflects Japanese social values of harmony and consideration.
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 人見知り: shyness around strangers — milder than 対人恐怖 and considered a normal personality trait
- 社交不安: social anxiety — a more clinical, Western-influenced term
- 引きこもり: social withdrawal, hikikomori — a related but distinct phenomenon involving prolonged withdrawal from society