constipate: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C1Medical, Formal, Figurative (less common)
Quick answer
What does “constipate” mean?
To cause severe, difficult, or infrequent evacuation of the bowels.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
To cause severe, difficult, or infrequent evacuation of the bowels.
To cause a blockage or sluggishness in a system, process, or flow; to make something slow or inactive.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in meaning or usage. Spelling is identical.
Connotations
Identical; both literal (medical) and, more rarely, figurative (hindering flow).
Frequency
Equally common in medical contexts in both dialects. The verb is less common in everyday speech than the noun 'constipation' or adjective 'constipated'.
Grammar
How to Use “constipate” in a Sentence
NP constipate NP (transitive)Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “constipate” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- Some painkillers can constipate patients.
- A diet lacking fibre may constipate you.
American English
- That medication is known to constipate some people.
- Eating too much cheese can constipate a toddler.
adverb
British English
- [No standard adverbial form. 'Constipatingly' is non-standard and extremely rare.]
American English
- [No standard adverbial form.]
adjective
British English
- He felt bloated and constipated.
- The constipated patient was given a laxative.
American English
- She was constipated for three days.
- A constipated bowel can cause discomfort.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Rare. Potentially figurative: 'Over-regulation can constipate market innovation.'
Academic
Used in medical, biological, and pharmacological texts. Figurative use possible in social sciences.
Everyday
Primarily in healthcare discussions; the verb is less common than 'to be/become constipated'.
Technical
Standard term in medicine, pharmacology, and gastroenterology.
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “constipate”
- Using it intransitively (e.g., 'I constipate easily' is unnatural; prefer 'I get constipated easily').
- Confusing it with 'consolidate'.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it is less common than the noun 'constipation' or the adjective 'constipated'. It is primarily used in medical or formal contexts.
Yes, but this is a figurative extension. It can describe anything that becomes blocked or sluggish, like bureaucracy or information flow, though this usage is relatively rare.
'Constipate' specifically implies causing a sluggish, difficult-to-move blockage, often of a semi-solid nature (literal or figurative). 'Obstruct' is more general and can mean to block any passage completely.
No, that is grammatically possible but highly unnatural. The usual construction is the passive participle: 'I am constipated' or 'I feel constipated'.
To cause severe, difficult, or infrequent evacuation of the bowels.
Constipate is usually medical, formal, figurative (less common) in register.
Constipate: in British English it is pronounced /ˈkɒn.stɪ.peɪt/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈkɑːn.stə.peɪt/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “[No common idioms for the verb itself]”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: CON-STOP-PATE. Something CONs you, makes things STOP, and you feel the negative state (-PATE as in 'fate').
Conceptual Metaphor
HEALTH IS FLOW / OBSTRUCTION IS ILLNESS. Figuratively: SYSTEMS ARE BODIES, and BLOCKAGE IS CONSTIPATION.
Practice
Quiz
In a figurative sense, what does 'constipate' mean?