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

Such symptoms include gas, abdominal pain, bloating, and diarrhea or nausea, after consuming a certain amount of dairy.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 12, 2026

Some victims suffer headaches, nausea, fever, diarrhea, vomiting or abdominal cramps so sharp that a friend calls them “knives in the stomach.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 4, 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 who contract salmonella often experience diarrhea, cramping and fever for about a week.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 10, 2026

It was like I had diarrhea of the mouth, as my mom used to say.

From "The Boy in the Black Suit" by Jason Reynolds

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

From Dietetics for Nurses by Fairfax T. Proudfit

These forcible housecleanings of Nature are colds, catarrh, skin eruptions, diarrheas, boils, ulcers, abnormal perspiration, hemorrhages and many other forms of inflammatory febrile diseases.

From Nature Cure by Henry Lindlahr

The most common forms of these acute purifications are colds, catarrhal and hemorrhoidal discharges, boils, ulcers, abscesses, open sores, skin eruptions, diarrheas, etc.

From Nature Cure by Henry Lindlahr

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

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

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