dyspeptic

English

WOTD – 5 February 2008

Etymology

First attested in 1694. From Ancient Greek δύσπεπτος (dúspeptos, “difficult to digest”), from δυσ- (dus-, “bad”) +‎ πέπτω (péptō, “I digest”).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /dɪsˈpɛp.tɪk/

• Audio (US):

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• Rhymes: -ɛptɪk

Adjective

dyspeptic (comparative more dyspeptic, superlative most dyspeptic)

1. (pathology, not comparable) Of, relating to, or having dyspepsia or indigestion.
   • 1838 (date written), L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], “(please specify the page)”, in Lady Anne Granard; or, Keeping up Appearances. […], volume I, London: Henry Colburn, […], published 1842, →OCLC, pages 272–273:

     ...but Lady Anne could not be deceived—in five years' time he would become dyspeptic, be surrounded by physicians, consigned to all the Badens in Germany, and think much more of a renovating draught than a beautiful young wife.

2. (figuratively, comparable) Irritable or morose.

   Synonyms: bad-tempered, bilious, irritable, morose

   • 2004, Alan Hollinghurst, The Line of Beauty […], 1st US edition, New York, N.Y.: Bloomsbury Publishing, →ISBN:

     Sir Maurice made a rough, dyspeptic sound, as if chewing a mint.

Derived terms

• antidyspeptic
• dyspeptone
• nondyspeptic

 

Translations

of, relating to, or having dyspepsia

• Dutch: misselijkmakend (nl)
• French: nauséabond (fr)
• German: dyspeptisch (de), magenkrank
• Greek: δυσπεπτικός (el) (dyspeptikós)
• Polish: dyspeptyczny (pl) m, niestrawny (pl) m
• Portuguese: dispéptico

irritable or morose

• Dutch: gemelijk (nl), prikkelbaar (nl), moroos
• French: irritable (fr), morose (fr)
• German: missgestimmt, verdrießlich (de)
• Polish: nieznośny (pl) m

Noun

dyspeptic (plural dyspeptics)

1. A dyspeptic person.
   • 1951 February, Forrest H. Howard, “The Physiologic Position for Delivery”, in Northwest Medicine, volume 50, number 2, Portland, Ore.: Northwest Medical Publishing Association, page 98:

     Medical management of peptic ulcers is employed along with psychotherapy to greater advantage than the multitude of operations employed twenty years ago for the unfortunate dyspeptic.

Related terms

• dyspepsia
• dyspeptically
• peptic

Translations

A dyspeptic person

• Polish: dyspeptyk m, cierpiący na niestrawność