tenesmus; painful, ineffectual urge to defecate
Medical and everyday term for cramping lower abdominal pain with a sensation of needing to pass stool but producing little or nothing; often associated with dysentery or irritable bowel.
I got tenesmus from food poisoning and kept rushing to the bathroom.
If the tenesmus persists, you should see a doctor.
Standard kanji spelling; this form has high priority.
Mixed kana-kanji spelling; less common but still encountered.
Compound of 渋り (shiburi, 'hesitation' or 'reluctance', from 渋る shiburu) and 腹 (hara, 'belly'), referring to the hesitant, incomplete bowel movement sensation.