constipation
Americannoun
-
a condition of the bowels in which the feces are dry and hardened and evacuation is difficult and infrequent.
-
Informal. a state of slowing down, sluggishness, or inactivity.
-
Obsolete. the act of crowding anything into a smaller compass; condensation.
noun
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
Compare meaning
How does constipation compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
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 clinical trials, at least 20% of patients experienced nausea, constipation, diarrhea and vomiting, and between 5% and 10% of patients, depending on which dose they were taking, discontinued treatment.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 1, 2026
Eating foods that contain gluten can trigger a range of gut symptoms, such as diarrhoea, stomach aches, sloating and flatulence, indigestion and constipation.
From BBC • Mar. 22, 2026
Between 40 and 70 percent of patients on these drugs report gastrointestinal adverse effects, like acid reflux, chronic diarrhea, and/or constipation.
From Slate • Mar. 22, 2026
These results build on earlier work showing that children of mothers who took antidepressants during pregnancy were more likely to be diagnosed with functional constipation.
From Science Daily • Mar. 17, 2026
Go to the Ufizzi in Florence, the Louvre in Paris, and you are so crushed with the numbers, once the might of greatness, that you go away distressed, with a feeling like constipation.
From "Travels with Charley in Search of America" by John Steinbeck
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.
