constipation

C3O1N1S1T1I1P3A1T1I1O1N1
/ˌkɒnstɪˈpeɪʃən/

noun

A state of the bowels in which the evacuations are infrequent and difficult, or the intestines become filled with hardened faeces.

Less commonScrabble 16

Meanings

nounconstipation (countable and uncountable, plural constipations)

plural constipations

  1. countableuncountableA state of the bowels in which the evacuations are infrequent and difficult, or the intestines become filled with hardened faeces.

    If you also knew how to combine foods—that is, what foods eaten together “set well,” you need never have indigestion, constipation or any of the headachy, stomachachy ills they lead to.

    1917 February 12, “If You Knew What Foods?” (advertisement), in The Independent, volume 59, number 3558, New York: Independent Corporation, page 280
    1 more example

    Review of systems was positive for unintentional weight gain of 13.5 kilograms in the last eight months, excessive fatigue, fever, difficulty focusing, one episode of painful oral ulcer on the roof of her mouth, change in the hair texture with nonscarring alopecia, shortness of breath with exertion, and constipation.

    2015 July 22, Reshma M. Khan et al., “Embolic Stroke as the Initial Manifestation of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus”, in Case Reports in Rheumatology, volume 2015, →DOI

    Synonyms: costiveness

  2. countableuncountableThe act of crowding anything into a lesser space, or the state of being crowded or pressed together; condensation.

Synonyms & antonyms

nounA state of the bowels in which the evacuations are infrequent and difficult, or the intestines become filled with hardened faeces.

More synonyms by meaning

nounirregular and infrequent or difficult evacuation of the bowels; can be a symptom of intestinal obstruction or diverticulitis

Broader

nounthe act of making something futile and useless (as by routine)

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Medieval Latinconstīpātiō
  2. Middle Englishconstipacioun
  3. Englishconstipation

First attested in the beginning of the 15ᵗʰ century, in Middle English; inherited from Middle English constipacioun, borrowed from Medieval Latin constīpātiō or its Old French equivalent, from cōnstīpō + -tiō. By surface analysis, constipate + -ion.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Arabic إِمْسَاك
  • إِمْسَاك (ʔimsāk)state of bowels
Bulgarian запек
  • запек (zapek)state of bowels
Catalan restrenyiment
  • restrenyimentstate of bowels
Chinese Mandarin 便秘
  • 便秘 (biànmì)state of bowels
Czech zácpa
  • zácpastate of bowels
Danish forstoppelse
  • forstoppelsestate of bowels
Dutch constipatie
  • constipatiestate of bowels
Esperanto konstipo, mallakso
  • konstipostate of bowels
  • mallaksostate of bowels
Estonian kõhukinnisus
  • kõhukinnisusstate of bowels
Finnish ummetus
  • ummetusstate of bowels
French constipation
  • constipationstate of bowels
German Obstipation, Verstopfung
  • Obstipationstate of bowels
  • Verstopfungstate of bowels
Greek δυσκοιλιότητα
  • δυσκοιλιότητα (dyskoiliótita)state of bowels
Hebrew עֲצִירוּת
  • עֲצִירוּתstate of bowels
Hindi कब्ज, कब्ज़
  • कब्ज (kabj)state of bowels
  • कब्ज़ (kabz)state of bowels
Hungarian székrekedés
  • székrekedésstate of bowels
Icelandic harðlífi, hægðatregða
  • harðlífistate of bowels
  • hægðatregðastate of bowels
Indonesian sembelit
  • sembelitstate of bowels
Irish iatacht
  • iatachtstate of bowels
Italian stipsi, stitichezza
  • stipsistate of bowels
  • stitichezzastate of bowels
Japanese 便秘
  • 便秘 (benpi)state of bowels
Korean 변비
  • 변비 (byeonbi)state of bowels
Latvian aizcietējums
  • aizcietējumsstate of bowels
Māori mate kōroke, mate kōreke
  • mate kōrokestate of bowels
  • mate kōrekestate of bowels
Norwegian Bokmål forstoppelse, obstipasjon
  • forstoppelsestate of bowels
  • obstipasjonstate of bowels
Persian یبوست
  • یبوست (yobusat)state of bowels
Polish konstypacja, obstrukcja
  • konstypacjastate of bowels
  • obstrukcjastate of bowels
  • zaparciestate of bowels
  • zatwardzeniestate of bowels
Portuguese constipação, prisão de ventre
  • constipaçãostate of bowels
  • prisão de ventrestate of bowels
Romanian constipație
  • constipațiestate of bowels
Russian запо́р, констипа́ция
  • запо́р (zapór)state of bowels
  • констипа́ция (konstipácija)state of bowels
Scottish Gaelic teanntachd-cuim
  • teanntachd-cuimstate of bowels
Slovak zápcha
  • zápchastate of bowels
Spanish constipación, estreñimiento
  • constipaciónstate of bowels
  • estreñimientostate of bowels
Swedish förstoppning
  • förstoppningstate of bowels
Tagalog tibi
  • tibistate of bowels
Tamil மலச்சிக்கல்
  • மலச்சிக்கல் (malaccikkal)state of bowels
Thai ท้องผูก
  • ท้องผูกstate of bowels
Turkish kabızlık
  • kabızlıkstate of bowels
Ukrainian запо́р
  • запо́р (zapór)state of bowels
Urdu قَبْض
  • قَبْض (qabẓ)state of bowels
Vietnamese táo bón
  • táo bónstate of bowels
Welsh rhwymedd
  • rhwymeddstate of bowels
Yiddish פֿאַרשטאָפּונג, קאָנסטיפּאַציע
  • פֿאַרשטאָפּונג (farshtopung)state of bowels
  • קאָנסטיפּאַציע (konstipatsye)state of bowels

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with constipation

All rhymes →
Cite this entry
APA

constipation. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/constipation

MLA

“constipation.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/constipation. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “constipation,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/constipation.

Source: constipation on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.