diarrhea

American  

[dahy-uh-ree-uh] / ˌdaɪ əˈri ə /

Or diarrhoea

noun

Pathology.

• diarrheas
  plural

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

Derived Forms

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

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• diarrheas
  plural

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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

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Compare meaning

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

• dysentery vs. diarrhea

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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

See Examples For:

diarrhea diarrheas

“Following each meal, my entire family experienced acute onsets with violent vomiting, watery diarrhea, and profound weakness.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 13, 2026

People with IBD can experience serious symptoms including rectal bleeding, abdominal pain, diarrhea, fatigue, and weight loss.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 20, 2026

People with diarrhea and a high fever, prolonged diarrhea or vomiting, or signs of dehydration should contact their medical provider immediately, the CDC said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026

Salmonella infection could result in diarrhea, nausea, headache and stomach cramps.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2026

But I didn’t tell Seanie and JP about the diarrhea spell, because I didn’t believe it was anything more than a sick coincidence—karma, kind of.

From "Winger" by Andrew Smith

Anemia as a Result.—Anemia is one of the most common results of prolonged diarrheal attacks, especially in those toxic diarrheas resulting from infectious diseases, dysentery, etc.

From Dietetics for Nurses by Fairfax T. Proudfit

Dietetic Treatment.—Practically the same as in other diarrheas.

From Dietetics for Nurses by Fairfax T. Proudfit

As the fat content of the oatmeal gives it a more laxative effect, it is undesirable to use it at the season in which the summer diarrheas are prevalent.

From Dietetics for Nurses by Fairfax T. Proudfit

These diarrheas are especially serious when accompanied by a steady loss in weight.

From The Mother and Her Child by William S. Sadler

In diarrheas the use of fruits and vegetables should be avoided; the best diet after the milk is bread well toasted through, toast-water, soft-boiled eggs, beefsteak, oyster stew, and clam broth.

From The Four Epochs of Woman's Life; a study in hygiene by Anna M. (Anna Mary) Galbraith

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