What does indigestive mean?
“Indigestive” is a formal adjective meaning “causing or involving indigestion” and, in less common use, “not digestible” or “difficult to digest.” It is chiefly used for food, meals, or ingredients that sit heavily or produce discomfort after eating. In discussions of ideas, literature, or experiences, it can occasionally imply that something is hard to understand or absorb, although “indigestible” is normally the more usual word for that figurative sense. The term has a somewhat old-fashioned, literary tone and appears much less often in everyday speech than “indigestible,” “heavy,” or “rich” when describing food. Nevertheless, it is useful when the emphasis is on the physical effect of a meal rather than simply its texture or taste. Its unusual ending also makes it a recognizable member of the wider family of “digestion,” “digestive,” and “digestible.”
adjectiveCausing or involving indigestion; difficult or impossible to digest.
- Causing or involving indigestion.
- Difficult or impossible to digest.
"They avoided the indigestive dishes that had left him uncomfortable the previous evening."
"The rich, indigestive meal left him feeling bloated and uncomfortable."
"Several passages in the novel are so indigestive that readers may need a summary to follow them."
Indigestive is the warning label for food that may promise discomfort after the meal rather than before it.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of indigestive
Indigestive was formed in English from the Latin-based stem “digest-” with the prefix “in-,” expressing a negative or opposing condition. Its relatives ultimately derive from Latin digerere, meaning “to separate apart” and, in the context of food, “to assimilate.” The related English words “digestion,” “digestive,” “digestible,” and “indigestible” developed from this same Latin-rooted vocabulary.
Related word forms
How indigestive is actually used
This is a relatively uncommon and somewhat literary word. In food contexts it usually means likely to cause indigestion; in figurative contexts, it can describe material that is difficult to understand or accept.
Easily confused with indigestive
Indigestible means difficult or impossible to digest, whereas indigestive more commonly describes food likely to cause indigestion.