indigestion
Americannoun
-
uncomfortable inability or difficulty in digesting food; dyspepsia.
-
an instance or case of indigestion.
noun
Etymology
Origin of indigestion
1400–50; late Middle English < Late Latin indīgestiōn- (stem of indīgestiō ). See in- 2, digestion
Explanation
Indigestion is what happens when your body has trouble digesting food and you get a stomach ache. Some indigestion can be avoided by chewing slowly and not eating a large pepperoni pizza for breakfast. If your stomach feels uncomfortable after a big meal, or you can't stop burping, it's probably indigestion. Some people know what food gives them indigestion, whether it's ice cream, fried foods, or hamburgers, and in many cases indigestion can be soothed with medicine or home remedies like ginger tea or peppermint. Indigestion adds the "not" prefix in- to digestion, which comes from the Latin root digestus, "digested thing."
Vocabulary lists containing indigestion
Charlotte's Web
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The Chocolate Touch
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A Boy Called Bat
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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.
That, in turn, could “create some more indigestion or volatility,” Kourkafas said.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 1, 2026
“The sell-off in software because of AI is more about indigestion as opposed to a total collapse in demand.”
From Barron's • Apr. 23, 2026
“It’s going to cause a lot of indigestion one way or the other,” said Barbara Reinhard, chief investment officer of multi-asset strategies and solutions at Voya Investment Management.
From MarketWatch • Dec. 10, 2025
Earl and the Twindaloo – Sale fans' nickname for the Curry brothers – were causing Ireland's attack indigestion.
From BBC • Feb. 1, 2025
If that sounds like a recipe for indigestion, well, that was sort of the idea.
From "The Omnivore's Dilemma" by Michael Pollan
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.
