constipate

C2+ Topic:Actions & Processes

US /ˈkɑnstəˌpeɪt/ UK /ˈkɒnstɪpeɪt/ See IPA manual

Meanings

1

verb
to cause difficulty in emptying the bowels; to clog or obstruct

Too much cheese can constipate even the healthiest eater.

Verb forms

Verb forms are not available for this word yet.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 verb · to cause difficulty in... clog obstruct block stop congest

Opposites

loosen purge relieve

Word family

Derived forms constipationconstipated

Related forms stipple stiffcostive

Simplified etymology

Constipate, recorded from Late Middle English, ultimately derives from Latin stipare, “to press” or “pack.” The same Latin verb shares ancient ancestry with stiff.

Etymology

From Latin constipatus, past participle of constipare ('to press together, crowd'), from con- ('together') + stipare ('to cram, pack tight').

constipare Latin stipare Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Actions & Processes Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# constipate

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** verb
**IPA (US):** /ˈkɑnstəˌpeɪt/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈkɒnstɪpeɪt/

## Meanings
1. to cause difficulty in emptying the bowels; to clog or obstruct

## Examples
- Too much cheese can constipate even the healthiest eater.

## Synonyms
- clog
- obstruct
- block
- stop
- congest

## Antonyms
- loosen
- purge
- relieve

## Derived Forms
- constipation
- constipated

## Related Forms
- stipple
- stiff
- costive

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: constipare
- Root: stipare

## Etymology
From Latin constipatus, past participle of constipare ('to press together, crowd'), from con- ('together') + stipare ('to cram, pack tight').

## AI Etymology
Constipate is from Latin constipatus, past participle of constipare ('to press together, crowd'), from con- ('together') + stipare ('to cram, pack tight'). The ancestry passes through Latin constipare and Latin stipare. The prefix con- adds togetherness, combination, or intensification where the Latin formation gives it that value, helping to explain the word's surface structure. In present use as a verb, it means "to cause difficulty in emptying the bowels; to clog or obstruct", keeping the historical formation close to the word's ordinary semantic work. Related words include stipple, stiff, and costive; derived forms include constipation and constipated.

## Topics
- Actions & Processes
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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