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

"You could run into the extremes of eating too much, where if you're not drinking enough water to hydrate and exceed the amount of soluble and insoluble fiber, you can get constipated," Lee said.

From Science Daily • Mar. 8, 2026

When Leonidas was just a month old, he was fussy and often constipated.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 3, 2026

“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 • May 14, 2025

Increase your fiber intake gradually so your digestive system can adjust, and make sure you are also drinking enough water to avoid becoming constipated.

From Seattle Times • Aug. 21, 2023

Crosby started to smile, then held it back in a way that made him look seriously constipated.

From "Confessions of a Murder Suspect" by James Patterson