costive
/'kɔstiv/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Adjective:
- Suffering from or causing constipation; constipated: Describes a condition where bowel movements are infrequent or difficult.
- Slow or reluctant in action or speech; not generous: Describes a person who is slow to act, speak, or spend.
Usage
- The primary meaning of "costive" is medical, relating to constipation.
- Its secondary meaning is figurative, describing a character trait of being slow, withholding, or stingy.
- It is a formal and somewhat old-fashioned word.
Examples
- Medical meaning:
- The patient felt costive and uncomfortable after the surgery.
- Some medications can have a costive effect on the digestive system.
- Figurative meaning:
- He was costive with his praise, rarely complimenting anyone.
- The author's costive prose made the novel difficult to read.
Advanced Usage
- "to be costive of": to be slow or reluctant to give something (e.g., information, money, praise).
- The government was costive of details regarding the new policy.
Variants and Related Words
- Costiveness (n): The state of being costive; constipation or reticence.
- The costiveness of his writing style frustrated readers.
Synonyms
- Constipated: (for the medical sense) suffering from constipation.
- Reticent: (for the figurative sense) not revealing one's thoughts or feelings readily.
- Stingy: (for the figurative sense) unwilling to give or spend; ungenerous.
Antonyms
- Laxative: (for the medical sense) tending to stimulate or facilitate evacuation of the bowels.
- Loquacious: (for the figurative sense) tending to talk a great deal; talkative.
- Generous: (for the figurative sense) showing a readiness to give more of something than is strictly necessary.
Related Idioms
- None directly using "costive": The word itself is not commonly used in modern idioms. Its figurative use often stands alone to describe a character trait.
Adjective
- retarding evacuation of feces; binding; constipating