Definition
Affected by constipation; also meaning stingy, reluctant to spend money, or emotionally closed.
Etymology
From Old French 'costif,' derived from Latin 'constipatus' (crowded together, constipated). The medical meaning came first, and the figurative meanings developed as constipation came to represent emotional or financial tightness.
Kelly Says
This word brilliantly shows how English uses physical bodily experiences as metaphors—'costive' meaning both constipated and stingy implies that refusing to spend is like refusing to release, a dark but clever linguistic connection.
Translations
ARالعربية
الإمساك
al-im-saak
CACatalà
estreñiment
es-treh-ne-ment
DADansk
forstoppning
for-stop-ning
DEDeutsch
verstopft
ver-stopft
ELΕλληνικά
κατακράτηση
ka-ta-kra-tee-ee
ESEspañol
estreñido
es-treh-nee-doh
FISuomi
ummetus
um-me-tus
FRFrançais
constipé
kon-sti-pe
IDBahasa Indonesia
sembelit
sem-be-lit
ITItaliano
stitichezza
sti-ti-che-zza
MRMR
शरीराचे
sha-ree-ra-che
MSBahasa Melayu
sembelit
sem-be-lit
MYမြန်မာ
ရှေ့ပိုင်း
shwe-pwayng
NLNederlands
verstopt
ver-stopt
NONorsk
forstoppning
for-stop-ning
PLPolski
zaparcie
za-par-tsee
PTPortuguês
constipado
kon-sti-pa-doh
RORomână
constipație
kon-sti-pa-thee
SVSvenska
förstoppning
for-stop-ning
SWKiswahili
kujaku
ku-ja-ku
TLTL
pagkakatitig
pa-gka-ka-ti-tig
TRTürkçe
kabızlık
ka-bız-lık
UKУкраїнська
запор
za-por
VITiếng Việt
bị táo bón
bí tao bon