constipate
Americanverb (used with object)
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to cause constipation in; make costive.
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Informal. to cause to become slow-moving or immobilized; restrict the action or effectiveness of.
Bureaucratic red tape can constipate the operations of any government agency.
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Obsolete. to crowd or pack closely together.
verb
Other Word Forms
- constipated adjective
Etymology
Origin of constipate
First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English past participle constipat, from Latin constīpātus, past participle of constīpāre, equivalent to con- intensive prefix + Latin stīpāre “to crowd, press”); con-, stiff
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.
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
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.
