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loose motion

Loose motion is an Indian English euphemism for diarrhoea — the frequent, liquid bowel movements associated with gastrointestinal illness.

ˈlus ˈmoʊʃən155 viewsLast reviewed Jun 29, 2026+ Add a definition
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#1·Apr 28, 2026

Loose motion is an Indian English euphemism for diarrhoea — the frequent, liquid bowel movements associated with gastrointestinal illness. The phrase is widely used across India in everyday speech, medical consultations, and informal communication. It is a polite, clinical-feeling alternative that avoids blunter terms. The 'loose' element describes the consistency and the 'motion' refers to the bowel movement itself. Outside South Asian English the phrase reads as strangely medical but in Indian English it is entirely natural and unremarkable.

He had loose motions since the night before and decided not to risk the street food that day.
Origin: Euphemistic medical-register compound; 'motion' (bowel movement) + 'loose' (liquid, unformed); characteristic of Indian English clinical vocabulary. Editorial expansion authored on Slangora.
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#2·Apr 27, 2026

(India, sometimes, in the plural) diarrhea.

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