diarrhea

American  

[dahy-uh-ree-uh] / ˌdaɪ əˈri ə /

Or diarrhoea

noun

Pathology.

1. an intestinal disorder characterized by abnormal frequency and fluidity of fecal evacuations.

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diarrhea Scientific  

/ dī′ə-rē′ə /

1. Excessive and frequent evacuation of watery feces, usually a symptom of a gastrointestinal disorder. Severe, prolonged diarrhea can lead to dehydration.

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diarrhea Cultural  

1. The frequent passage of abnormally watery feces, which is a sign of illness.

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Other Word Forms

• antidiarrheal adjective
• diarrheal adjective
• diarrheic adjective
• diarrhetic adjective
• diarrhoeal adjective
• diarrhoeic adjective
• diarrhoetic adjective

Etymology

Origin of diarrhea

1350–1400; Middle English diaria < Late Latin diarrhoea < Greek diárrhoia a flowing through, equivalent to diarrho- (variant stem of diarrheîn to flow through) + -ia -ia

Compare meaning

How does diarrhea compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• dysentery vs. diarrhea

Explanation

Diarrhea is runny, watery feces that is often painful, too. People get it from the flu, spicy food, food poisoning, and a host of other nasty reasons. No one likes diarrhea, but it happens to us all. Not only is your poop watery, but you might have to go often and urgently — you probably know that feeling of running to the nearest toilet, praying you'll make it in time. Diarrhea is a symptom of the flu and other medical problems, but just eating food you're not used to can cause it. If someone can't stop talking, people sometimes use the slang expression diarrhea of the mouth.

Example Sentences

Cholera, a dangerous bacterial infection that causes severe diarrhea and can be fatal without treatment, may be significantly reduced through diet.

From Science Daily • Apr. 7, 2026

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

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

Symptoms included vomiting, diarrhea, stomach cramps and fatigue within one to two days of consuming seafood from the harbor — consistent with norovirus infection, according to Whatcom County Health and Community Services.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 10, 2026

And the symptoms of many toxic substances mimicked natural ailments—the nausea and diarrhea of cholera, or the seizure of a heart attack.

From "Killers of the Flower Moon" by David Grann