dyspepsia

IPA/dɪsˈpepsiə/
IPA/dɪsˈpepʃə/

dyspepsia — noun

1. a medical problem in which the upper part of the stomach produces pain, burning,

1.nounB2
Definition

a medical problem in which the upper part of the stomach produces pain, burning, or a feeling of fullness, especially after someone has eaten a meal

Example

After a heavy curry dinner, Tariq had dyspepsia and could not sleep.

no article: 'had dyspepsia' not 'a dyspepsia'

The nurse told Maeve that eating meals too late at night caused her dyspepsia.

passive: was caused by [trigger]

Common collocations
  • suffer from dyspepsia
  • chronic dyspepsia
  • acute dyspepsia
  • mild dyspepsia
  • treat dyspepsia with
  • dyspepsia symptoms
  • cause dyspepsia
  • relieve dyspepsia
Synonyms
  • indigestion

    everyday term that covers the same symptoms; dyspepsia is the formal medical name

  • heartburn

    describes a specific burning sensation rising from the stomach to the chest, which is one possible symptom of dyspepsia

  • upset stomach

    a very general, non-technical phrase for any stomach discomfort, not limited to the upper digestive tract

Usage Note

Uncountable; do not say "a dyspepsia". Frequently used with chronic, acute, or mild to describe severity.

Common Mistakes

I have a dyspepsia.
I have dyspepsia.
dyspepsia is an uncountable noun and does not take the indefinite article 'a'.

Word family

  • dyspeptic
    adjectiveC1
  • dyspeptically
    adverbC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Dyspepsia is the formal medical term for recurring pain or discomfort in the upper abdomen, often linked to eating. Indigestion is the everyday equivalent, used broadly for any difficulty digesting food — it is less clinical and more common in casual speech. Heartburn refers specifically to a burning sensation that rises from the stomach toward the chest; it is a symptom of dyspepsia but not synonymous with it. Upset stomach is the most general and informal of the three, covering nausea, cramps, or any mild stomach distress from any cause. For example, a patient might tell a doctor 'I have dyspepsia,' but tell a friend 'My stomach feels upset.'

indigestion ↗heartburn ↗upset stomach

Common collocations

Phrases

  • suffer from dyspepsia
  • a case of dyspepsia
  • symptoms of dyspepsia

Etymology

GreekLatinEnglish

Dyspepsia comes from the Greek word 'dyspepsia', made up of 'dys-' meaning 'bad' or 'difficult' and 'pepsis' meaning 'digestion'. It entered English in the early 1700s through medical Latin, first used by physicians to describe a disorder of the digestive process.

First known use

1706

1706, in the meaning defined at sense 1