constipated

American  

[kon-stuh-pey-tid] / ˈkɒn stəˌpeɪ tɪd /

adjective

1. having a condition of the bowels in which the feces are dry and hardened and evacuation is difficult and infrequent.

   Most constipated people need more fluids and fiber.

2. slow-moving or immobilized, as by overregulation, backlogs, etc..

   Such an approach only adds to a bloated bureaucracy and constipated decision-making.

3. overly stiff, repressed, or conventional; uptight.

   She describes her husband as “emotionally constipated.”

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constipated British  

/ ˈkɒnstɪˌpeɪtɪd /

adjective

1. suffering from constipation

2. subject to restriction or blockage in a flow of productive activity or creativity

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Other Word Forms

• unconstipated adjective

Etymology

Origin of constipated

First recorded in 1540–50; constipat(e) ( def. ) + -ed ² ( def. )

Example Sentences

Here are some of the ways to prevent a child from becoming constipated:

From BBC

“It taught you to be a lot less constipated about having a bad idea or being made fun of,” he said of his time at Esquire.

From Los Angeles Times

Ms Perea was 29 when she first visited her GP after feeling constipated and bloated.

From BBC

The tycoon, played with constipated entitlement by Guy Pearce, has the pastiche name Harrison Lee Van Buren.

From Los Angeles Times

Funnily enough, though, his “Napoleon” might have actually benefited from a bit more fuss, a lot more political-historical insight and a less constipated visual style.

From Los Angeles Times