diarrhea

American  

[dahy-uh-ree-uh] / ˌdaɪ əˈri ə /

Or diarrhoea

noun

Pathology.

1. an intestinal disorder characterized by abnormal frequency and fluidity of fecal evacuations.

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diarrhea Scientific  

/ dī′ə-rē′ə /

1. Excessive and frequent evacuation of watery feces, usually a symptom of a gastrointestinal disorder. Severe, prolonged diarrhea can lead to dehydration.

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diarrhea Cultural  

1. The frequent passage of abnormally watery feces, which is a sign of illness.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• diarrhoeic
  adjective
• diarrhoeal
  adjective
• diarrhoetic
  adjective
• antidiarrheal
  adjective
• diarrheal
  adjective
• diarrheic
  adjective
• diarrhetic
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of diarrhea

1350–1400; Middle English diaria < Late Latin diarrhoea < Greek diárrhoia a flowing through, equivalent to diarrho- (variant stem of diarrheîn to flow through) + -ia -ia

Compare meaning

How does diarrhea compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• dysentery vs. diarrhea

Explanation

Diarrhea is runny, watery feces that is often painful, too. People get it from the flu, spicy food, food poisoning, and a host of other nasty reasons. No one likes diarrhea, but it happens to us all. Not only is your poop watery, but you might have to go often and urgently — you probably know that feeling of running to the nearest toilet, praying you'll make it in time. Diarrhea is a symptom of the flu and other medical problems, but just eating food you're not used to can cause it. If someone can't stop talking, people sometimes use the slang expression diarrhea of the mouth.

Example Sentences

Patients also frequently dealt with stomatitis – painful swelling and sores inside the mouth – as well as diarrhea, nausea and vomiting.

From Science Daily • Jun. 4, 2026

Early symptoms include fever and fatigue; later stages may involve diarrhea, vomiting and unexplained bleeding.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 3, 2026

Healthy persons infected can experience fever, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain.

From Los Angeles Times • May 27, 2026

Between 28.6% and 42.4% of participants reported nausea, depending on their dose, and between 25.3% and 32.0% reported diarrhea.

From MarketWatch • May 21, 2026

He was on some kind of medication for diarrhea.

From "Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing" by Ted Conover