Synonyms

diarrhea

American

[dahy-uh-ree-uh] / ˌdaɪ əˈri ə /

Or diarrhoea

noun

Pathology.

an intestinal disorder characterized by abnormal frequency and fluidity of fecal evacuations.

diarrhea Scientific

/ dī′ə-rē′ə /

Excessive and frequent evacuation of watery feces, usually a symptom of a gastrointestinal disorder. Severe, prolonged diarrhea can lead to dehydration.

diarrhea Cultural

The frequent passage of abnormally watery feces, which is a sign of illness.

Other Word Forms

antidiarrheal adjective
diarrheal adjective
diarrheic adjective
diarrhetic adjective
diarrhoeal adjective
diarrhoeic adjective
diarrhoetic adjective

Etymology

Origin of diarrhea

1350–1400; Middle English diaria < Late Latin diarrhoea < Greek diárrhoia a flowing through, equivalent to diarrho- (variant stem of diarrheîn to flow through) + -ia -ia

Compare meaning

How does diarrhea compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

dysentery vs. diarrhea

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The contagion caused severe diarrhea, dehydrating the body so that blood thickened; sufferers’ skin turned dark blue.

From Literature

The common and highly contagious parasitic infection can cause diarrhea in animals as well as people.

From Los Angeles Times

Symptoms in dogs include lethargy, vomiting and diarrhea.

From Los Angeles Times

Individuals who may be experiencing symptoms of listeria infection, like fever, muscle aches and diarrhea, should contact their healthcare provider.

From Salon

Jansen recalled feeling "flabbergasted" at Marrero's notes, which he said featured an array of broad and unrelated clinical observations — a "diarrhea of symptoms".

From BBC

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023