constipation
Americannoun
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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.
In addition to using coffee enemas to treat cancer, the majority of users online report turning to them for constipation.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 8, 2026
“It’s not just colorectal cancer or constipation or diarrhea,” says Pasricha, author of the book, “You’ve Been Pooping All Wrong.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 14, 2026
Like any medication, there can be side effects, including nausea, diarrhoea, constipation and vomiting.
From BBC • Jun. 11, 2026
Researchers at Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine uncovered an unexpected possibility involving a drug that has long been used to treat constipation.
From Science Daily • May 8, 2026
“But enough about me. Something tells me you aren’t here to enjoy yourself. Unless, in your old age, this look of constipation has become your natural expression. Honestly, I can’t tell.”
From "The City Beautiful" by Aden Polydoros
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.
