Definition of "constipated" [constipated]

• Affected with constipation. (adjective)
• Stiff, stodgy, or recalcitrant: "united only in a constipated hatred of change of any kind” ( John Fowles). (adjective)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "This type of entrenched (some might call it constipated) thinking seems to permeate the large organizations that I've encountered in my life."
• "The nurses would let a man remain constipated for a week on end, and they seldom washed those who were too weak to wash themselves."
• "General comments: bee said ... the lady has a great voice. why are there so many sourpuss faces in the audience? most of them look constipated. is it illegal to smile or appear to be enjoying oneself?"