Meanings
present singular third person constipates · participle present constipating · participle past constipated · past constipated
- ambitransitiveTo cause constipation in, render costive.
The long hours of travel seemed to constipate his digestion.
2 more examples
The medication can constipate you if you’re not drinking enough water.
A lack of fiber can constipate the body, leading to discomfort.
comparative more constipate · superlative most constipate
- obsoleteConstipated, costive.
By […] much Sweating, the Bowels were heated, and dry'd, and rendred Constipate.
1697, Robert Peirce, Bath Memoirs, or Observations in three-and-forty years, II. i. 255
Synonyms & antonyms
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Medieval Latincōnstīpō“to cause constipation, to constipate”
- Medieval Latincōnstīpātus“constipated”
- Middle Englishconstipat(e)“constipated”
- Englishconstipate
The adjective is first attested circa 1425, in Middle English, the verb in 1541; inherited from Middle English constipat(e) (“constipated”), borrowed Medieval Latin cōnstīpātus (“constipated”) (or through its Old French equivalent constipé), perfect passive participle of Medieval Latin cōnstīpō (“to cause constipation, to constipate”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix) and -ate (adjective-forming suffix)), from Classical Latin cōnstīpō (“to crowd or press tightly together”) (whence obsoleted sense 2 and 3), itself from con- + stīpō (“to press, cram”). Cognate with Middle English constipen (“to constipate”) and doublet of costive; related to stiff.
More words from Middle English, Medieval Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian причинявам запек
- причинявам запек (pričinjavam zapek)to cause constipation in
Finnish ummettaa, aiheuttaa ummetusta
- ummettaato cause constipation in
- aiheuttaa ummetustato cause constipation in
- kovettaa vatsaato cause constipation in
French constiper
- constiperto cause constipation in
German verstopfen, überfüllen
- verstopfento cause constipation in
- überfüllento pack or crowd together
Irish triomaigh
- triomaighto cause constipation in
Japanese 便秘する
- 便秘する (benpi-suru)to cause constipation in
Romanian constipa
- constipato cause constipation in
Russian вызывать запор, крепить
- вызывать запор (vyzyvatʹ zapor)to cause constipation in
- крепить (krepitʹ)to cause constipation in
Spanish estreñir
- estreñirto cause constipation in
Rhymes & wordplay
Anagrams
Cite this entry
constipate. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/constipate
“constipate.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/constipate. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “constipate,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/constipate.
Source: constipate on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.