constipation
Americannoun
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a condition of the bowels in which the feces are dry and hardened and evacuation is difficult and infrequent.
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Informal. a state of slowing down, sluggishness, or inactivity.
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Obsolete. the act of crowding anything into a smaller compass; condensation.
noun
Etymology
Origin of constipation
First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English constipacioun, from Middle French, from Late Latin constīpātiōn-, stem of constīpātiō; equivalent to constipate + -ion
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Constipation means I should make lentils for dinner.
From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 26, 2025
Constipation is a chronic condition that can seriously affect quality of life while adding to healthcare costs.
From Science Daily • Oct. 22, 2025
Constipation that doesn't go away affects one in 10 people and can have a major impact on someone's quality of life.
From BBC • Oct. 13, 2025
Constipation is a condition where the feces are hardened because of excess water removal in the colon.
From Textbooks • Jun. 9, 2022
Constipation and flatulence, or “squeaky gut,” as the men called it, made them even more uncomfortable than they already were.
From "Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World" by Jennifer Armstrong
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
