constipation
Americannoun
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constipations
plural
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a condition of the bowels in which the feces are dry and hardened and evacuation is difficult and infrequent.
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Informal. a state of slowing down, sluggishness, or inactivity.
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Obsolete. the act of crowding anything into a smaller compass; condensation.
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of constipation
First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English constipacioun, from Middle French, from Late Latin constīpātiōn-, stem of constīpātiō; equivalent to constipate + -ion
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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.
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Despite how widespread it is, constipation is often ignored or left untreated until symptoms become difficult to manage.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 5, 2026
"You can use this knowledge to help bedridden patients. They also experience constipation and likely also have increased protein fermentation that may aggravate health conditions," concludes Lars Ove Dragsted, senior author of the paper.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 28, 2026
Non-motor symptoms include depression, anxiety, apathy, hallucinations, constipation, orthostatic hypotension, sleep disorders, loss of sense of smell, and cognitive impairments.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 23, 2026
What appears to be appendicitis turns out to be severe constipation, a public announcement I’m sure his schoolmates will handle with grace and maturity.
From Salon ● Aug. 23, 2026
Most people think stammering and stuttering are the same but they're as different as diarrhea and constipation.
From "Black Swan Green" by David Mitchell
I had no idea about things like the severe constipations, the bleeding gums or that my lasered moustache would come back.
From The Guardian ● Jun. 9, 2016
I had no idea about things like the severe constipations, the bleeding gums or that my lasered moustache would come back You’re the first comedian to make a special while pregnant.
From The Guardian ● Jun. 9, 2016
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.
