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

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

From BBC • Sep. 3, 2025

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 • Nov. 22, 2023

Since we are on the subject, I became as constipated as Richard Parker.

From "Life of Pi" by Yann Martel