Standard Lemma guide

diarrhea

noun · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • UK: /ˌdaɪ.əˈɹiː.ə/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -iːə
  • CMU ARPABET: D AY2 ER0 IY1 AH0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A gastrointestinal disorder characterized by frequent and very soft or watery bowel movements.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: Canada, US, countable, uncountable

Topics: medicine, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

The watery or very soft excrement that comes from such bowel movements.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: Canada, US, countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

frequent and watery bowel movements; can be a symptom of infection or food poisoning or colitis or a gastrointestinal tumor

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: diarrhoea, looseness of the bowels, looseness

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: symptom

Narrower terms: the shits, the trots, Montezuma's revenge

History

Etymology

From Middle English diaria, from Middle French diarrie (French diarrhée), from Late Latin diarrhoea, from Ancient Greek διάρροια (diárrhoia, “through-flowing”), from διά (diá, “through”) + ῥέω (rhéō, “flow”). By surface analysis, dia- + -rrhea. Spelling later altered to resemble the word's Latin and Greek roots. Displaced native Old English ūtsiht (literally “straining out”).

Across languages

Translations

257 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Afrikaans: diarree — medical condition
  • Afrikaans: lopende maag — medical condition
  • Afrikaans: maagwerk — medical condition
  • Albanian: purth — medical condition
  • Albanian: bark — medical condition
  • Albanian: diare — medical condition
  • Albanian: spirë — medical condition
  • Gheg Albanian: shkul — medical condition
  • Southern Altai: чычкак (čïčkak) — medical condition
  • Arabic: إِسْهَال (ʔishāl) — medical condition
  • Arabic: اسهال (ishāl) — medical condition
  • Arabic: إسهال (ʔishāl) — medical condition
  • Armenian: լուծ (luc) — medical condition
  • Assamese: হাগনি (hagoni) — medical condition
  • Australian Kriol: daiyariya — medical condition
  • Azerbaijani: ishal — medical condition
  • Azerbaijani: diarreya — medical condition
  • Bashkir: эс китеү (es kitew) — medical condition
  • Belarusian: ля́кса (ljáksa) — medical condition
  • Belarusian: мыт (myt) — medical condition
  • Belarusian: пано́с (panós) — medical condition
  • Belarusian: дрыста́чка (drystáčka) — medical condition
  • Belarusian: сра́чка (sráčka) — medical condition
  • Belarusian: дыярэ́я (dyjaréja) — medical condition
  • Bengali: উদরাময় (udramoẏ) — medical condition
  • Bulgarian: диа́рия (diárija) — medical condition
  • Burmese: ဝမ်းကျ (wam:kya.) — medical condition
  • Catalan: cagarrines — medical condition
  • Catalan: diarrea — medical condition
  • Chinese Cantonese: 肚屙 (tou5 o1) — medical condition
  • Chinese Mandarin: 腹瀉 /腹泻 (fùxiè) — medical condition
  • Chinese Mandarin: 下痢 (xiàlì) — medical condition
  • Chinese Mandarin: 拉肚子 (lādùzi) — medical condition
  • Czech: průjem — medical condition
  • Czech: sračka — medical condition
  • Czech: běhavka — medical condition
  • Danish: diare — medical condition
  • Danish: diaré — medical condition
  • Danish: diarre — medical condition
  • Danish: diarré — medical condition
  • Dutch: diarree — medical condition
  • Esperanto: lakso — medical condition
  • Esperanto: diareo — medical condition
  • Estonian: kõhulahtisus — medical condition
  • Faroese: lívsýki — medical condition
  • Faroese: búklop — medical condition
  • Faroese: skitja — medical condition
  • Faroese: skræpusótt — medical condition
  • Faroese: myrra — medical condition
  • Faroese: gorlop — medical condition
  • Finnish: ripuli — medical condition
  • French: diarrhée — medical condition
  • French: foire — medical condition
  • Galician: diarrea — medical condition
  • Galician: cagarría — medical condition
  • Galician: foira — medical condition
  • Galician: descomposición — medical condition
  • Gallo: deripette — medical condition
  • Georgian: დიარეა (diarea) — medical condition
  • Georgian: კუჭაშლილობა (ḳuč̣ašliloba) — medical condition
  • Georgian: ფაღარათი (paɣarati) — medical condition
  • Georgian: ტრაწი (ṭrac̣i) — medical condition
  • German: Durchfall — medical condition
  • German: Dünnschiss — medical condition
  • German: Diarrhö — medical condition
  • German: Diarrhoe — medical condition
  • Greek: διάρροια (diárroia) — medical condition
  • Greek: ευκοιλιότητα (efkoiliótita) — medical condition
  • Ancient Greek: διάρροια (diárrhoia) — medical condition
  • Gujarati: અતિસાર (atisār) — medical condition
  • Haitian Creole: vant mennen — medical condition
  • Hebrew: שִׁלְשׁוּל (shilshúl) — medical condition
  • Hiligaynon: luput — medical condition
  • Hiligaynon: bala-od — medical condition
  • Hindi: अतिसार (atisār) — medical condition
  • Hindi: दस्त (dast) — medical condition
  • Hindi: डायरिया (ḍāyriyā) — medical condition
  • Hungarian: hasmenés — medical condition
  • Icelandic: niðurgangur — medical condition
  • Icelandic: ræpa — medical condition
  • Icelandic: drulla — medical condition
  • Ido: diareo — medical condition
  • Indonesian: diare — medical condition
  • Indonesian: mencret — medical condition
  • Indonesian: menceret — medical condition
  • Ingrian: syäntauti — medical condition
  • Irish: buinneach — medical condition
  • Irish: scaoing — medical condition
  • Irish: scuaid — medical condition
  • Old Irish: búar — medical condition
  • Old Irish: buinne — medical condition
  • Old Irish: buinnech — medical condition
  • Old Irish: díarria — medical condition
  • Old Irish: lir — medical condition
  • Italian: diarrea — medical condition
  • Japanese: 下痢 (geri) — medical condition
  • Jarai: čroh — medical condition
  • Kannada: ಅತಿಸಾರ (atisāra) — medical condition
  • Kashubian: drzësta — medical condition
  • Kashubian: biegùnka — medical condition
  • Kashubian: biegawica — medical condition
  • Kashubian: drzistówka — medical condition
  • Kazakh: тышқақ (tyşqaq) — medical condition
  • Kazakh: іш өту (ış ötu) — medical condition
  • Kazakh: сатқақ (satqaq) — medical condition
  • Khmer: អាមាតិសារ (ʼaamaatesaa) — medical condition
  • Korean: 설사 (seolsa) — medical condition
  • Central Kurdish: زگ چوون (zig çûn) — medical condition
  • Northern Kurdish: zikçûn — medical condition
  • Northern Kurdish: îshal — medical condition
  • Kyrgyz: ич өтүү (ic ötüü) — medical condition
  • Ladino: shushulera — medical condition
  • Ladino: kagalera — medical condition
  • Ladino: diarea — medical condition
  • Ladino: salida — medical condition
  • Lao: ຖອກທ້ອງ (thǭk thǭng) — medical condition
  • Latin: foria — medical condition
  • Latin: alvī prōfluvium — medical condition
  • Latvian: caureja — medical condition
  • Lithuanian: viduriavimas — medical condition
  • Macedonian: пролив (proliv) — medical condition
  • Malay: cirit-birit — medical condition
  • Malay: diarea — medical condition
  • Malayalam: അതിസാരം (atisāraṁ) — medical condition
  • Malayalam: വയറിളക്കം (vayaṟiḷakkaṁ) — medical condition
  • Maltese: dijarea — medical condition
  • Marathi: अतिसार (atisār) — medical condition
  • Mongolian: суулгалт (suulgalt) — medical condition
  • Khiamniungan Naga: thāikìohshì — medical condition
  • Nahuatl: amintli — medical condition
  • Nama: ǃnāb — medical condition
  • Nama: xausenǃnāb — medical condition
  • Norman: diarrhée — medical condition
  • Norwegian: diaré — medical condition
  • Nǀuu: nǃaasi — medical condition
  • Occitan: diarrèa — medical condition
  • Old English: ūtsiht — medical condition
  • Pashto: اسهال (eshãl) — medical condition
  • Pashto: دست (dast) — medical condition
  • Pashto: حيضه (hizā) — medical condition
  • Persian: اسهال (eshâl) — medical condition
  • Persian: شکمروش (šekam-raveš) — medical condition
  • Picard: squitte — medical condition
  • Polish: biegunka — medical condition
  • Polish: sraczka — medical condition
  • Polish: rozwolnienie — medical condition
  • Portuguese: diarreia — medical condition
  • Portuguese: caganeira — medical condition
  • Punjabi: ਦਸਤ (dasat) — medical condition
  • Quechua: q'icha — medical condition
  • Quechua: diyarriya — medical condition
  • Romanian: diaree — medical condition
  • Romanian: urdinare — medical condition
  • Romansh: fuira — medical condition
  • Romansh: fuera — medical condition
  • Romansh: foira — medical condition
  • Romansh: sfuira — medical condition
  • Romansh: sfuoira — medical condition
  • Romansh: diarrea — medical condition
  • Romansh: diarea — medical condition
  • Romansh: burga — medical condition
  • Romansh: purgia — medical condition
  • Romansh: sfurata — medical condition
  • Romansh: sbierla — medical condition
  • Russian: поно́с (ponós) — medical condition
  • Russian: диаре́я (diaréja) — medical condition
  • Russian: сра́чка (sráčka) — medical condition
  • Scottish Gaelic: cac-shiubhal — medical condition
  • Scottish Gaelic: a' bhuineach — medical condition
  • Scottish Gaelic: spùt — medical condition
  • Serbo-Croatian: дијареја — medical condition
  • Serbo-Croatian: пролив — medical condition
  • Serbo-Croatian: прољев — medical condition
  • Serbo-Croatian: dijareja — medical condition
  • Serbo-Croatian: proliv — medical condition
  • Serbo-Croatian: proljev — medical condition
  • Sicilian: cacareḍḍu — medical condition
  • Sicilian: diarrìa — medical condition
  • Sicilian: sciota — medical condition
  • Slovak: hnačka — medical condition
  • Slovak: sračka — medical condition
  • Slovene: driska — medical condition
  • Spanish: diarrea — medical condition
  • Spanish: colitis — medical condition
  • Spanish: cagadera — medical condition
  • Spanish: churria — medical condition
  • Spanish: currutaca — medical condition
  • Spanish: churretera — medical condition
  • Spanish: quicha — medical condition
  • Spanish: pringapié — medical condition
  • Swahili: harisha — medical condition
  • Swedish: diarré — medical condition
  • Tagalog: bululos — medical condition
  • Tagalog: pagtatae — medical condition
  • Tagalog: talasok — medical condition
  • Tamil: வயிற்றுப்போக்கு (vayiṟṟuppōkku) — medical condition
  • Tamil: பேதி (pēti) — medical condition
  • Tatar: эч китү (eç kitü) — medical condition
  • Telugu: అతిసారం (atisāraṁ) — medical condition
  • Thai: ท้องเสีย (tɔ́ɔng-sǐia) — medical condition
  • Thai: ท้องร่วง (tɔ́ɔng-rûuang) — medical condition
  • Thai: ท้องเดิน (tɔ́ɔng-dəən) — medical condition
  • Tibetan: བཤལ་ནད (bshal nad) — medical condition
  • Tok Pisin: dairia — medical condition
  • Tok Pisin: pekpek wara — medical condition
  • Turkish: ishal — medical condition
  • Ottoman Turkish: لینت (linet) — medical condition
  • Ukrainian: проно́с (pronós) — medical condition
  • Ukrainian: різа́чка (rizáčka) — medical condition
  • Ukrainian: бігу́нка (bihúnka) — medical condition
  • Ukrainian: сра́чка (sráčka) — medical condition
  • Ukrainian: діаре́я (diaréja) — medical condition
  • Urdu: اسہال (ishāl) — medical condition
  • Urdu: دست (dast) — medical condition
  • Uyghur: ئىچ سۈرۈش (ich sürüsh) — medical condition
  • Uzbek: ich ketish — medical condition
  • Uzbek: ichburugʻ — medical condition
  • Vietnamese: tiêu chảy — medical condition
  • Vietnamese: ỉa chảy — medical condition
  • Walloon: schite — medical condition
  • Welsh: dolur rhydd — medical condition
  • Chinese Mandarin: 稀屎 (xīshǐ) — watery excrement
  • Danish: tyndskid — watery excrement
  • Finnish: ripuliuloste — watery excrement
  • Finnish: ripulipaska — watery excrement
  • French: chiasse — watery excrement
  • French: diarrhée — watery excrement
  • Galician: cisca — watery excrement
  • Galician: cagarría — watery excrement
  • Galician: furrica — watery excrement
  • Galician: foira — watery excrement
  • Greek: διάρροια (diárroia) — watery excrement
  • Ancient Greek: διάρροια (diárrhoia) — watery excrement
  • Hungarian: fos — watery excrement
  • Ingrian: paska — watery excrement
  • Ingrian: tiri — watery excrement
  • Irish: scuaid — watery excrement
  • Italian: squacquera — watery excrement
  • Italian: scacazzata — watery excrement
  • Khiamniungan Naga: thāikìohshì — watery excrement
  • Polish: biegunka — watery excrement
  • Polish: sraczka — watery excrement
  • Polish: rozwolnienie — watery excrement
  • Portuguese: diarreia — watery excrement
  • Russian: жидкий стул (židkij stul) — watery excrement
  • Sicilian: cacareḍḍu — watery excrement
  • Sicilian: sciota — watery excrement
  • Sicilian: moja — watery excrement
  • Spanish: diarrea — watery excrement
  • Spanish: churreta — watery excrement
  • Spanish: churrete — watery excrement
  • Spanish: churretear — watery excrement
  • Spanish: churretearse — watery excrement
  • Spanish: cagalera — watery excrement
  • Walloon: schite — watery excrement
  • Welsh: pib — watery excrement
  • Zulu: Uhudo — watery excrement