indigestion
MediumNeutral; common in both everyday and medical contexts.
Definition
Meaning
Pain or discomfort in the stomach/digestive tract that occurs after eating, often due to difficulty digesting food.
Figuratively, difficulty in accepting, processing, or dealing with an idea, situation, or piece of information.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Refers specifically to the condition/symptoms, not the causative agent. The figurative use is informal.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in meaning. 'Dyspepsia' is a more formal/medical synonym used equivalently in both varieties.
Connotations
In both, it connotes mild, common discomfort rather than serious illness.
Frequency
Equally common in everyday speech in both UK and US English.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
have indigestionget indigestion from NPcause NP indigestionlead to indigestionVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “[Informal] give someone indigestion (cause frustration or annoyance)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Rare, except perhaps in informal talk about stress ('The merger news gave me indigestion').
Academic
Used in medical/biological contexts with its literal meaning.
Everyday
Very common for describing post-meal discomfort.
Technical
'Dyspepsia' is the preferred clinical term in medicine.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- This rich pudding will indigest me, I'm sure of it. (archaic/rare)
American English
- (No standard modern verb form in use.)
adverb
British English
- (No standard adverb form.)
American English
- (No standard adverb form.)
adjective
British English
- He felt rather indigestive after the heavy meal. (rare)
American English
- (No standard adjective form in use.)
Examples
By CEFR Level
- I ate too much cake and now I have indigestion.
- Spicy food gives me indigestion.
- If you eat so quickly, you'll probably get indigestion.
- She took a tablet for her indigestion.
- The doctor said my persistent indigestion might be linked to stress.
- He argued the new policy would cause political indigestion among the party's traditional voters.
- Functional dyspepsia, a form of chronic indigestion with no clear cause, affects a significant portion of the population.
- The committee struggled to digest the complex report, a task that gave them considerable intellectual indigestion.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
IN (not) + DIGESTION = NOT digesting properly -> INDIGESTION.
Conceptual Metaphor
DIGESTION IS PROCESSING (food or information). Poor digestion is poor processing, leading to discomfort.
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not confuse with 'расстройство желудка' (which is closer to 'diarrhoea' or 'upset stomach' with different primary symptoms). 'Indigestion' focuses on pain/discomfort during/after digestion, not necessarily on bowel movements.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'indigestion' to mean food poisoning or a viral stomach bug. Incorrect: 'I have indigestion from a virus.' Correct: 'I have an upset stomach from a virus.'
Practice
Quiz
In which context is 'indigestion' used figuratively?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, but they are related. Heartburn (a burning sensation in the chest) is a specific symptom that can be part of indigestion. Indigestion is a broader term for upper abdominal discomfort.
No, the verb 'indigest' is archaic and not used in modern English. Use phrases like 'cause indigestion' or 'give someone indigestion' instead.
They overlap. 'Upset stomach' is more general and can include nausea or diarrhoea. 'Indigestion' specifically focuses on discomfort, pain, or burning during/after eating.
Essentially, yes. 'Dyspepsia' is the formal medical term for the condition commonly called indigestion.