# shits

/ˈʃɪts/ (US) · /ʃˈɪts/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/shits
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. stomach illness

noun · CEFR C2 · Vulgar · Informal

a very rude way to talk about having diarrhea.

For teachers: A vulgar, plural-only noun referring to an attack of diarrhea.

- He couldn't go to work because he had a bad case of the shits.
- The entire hiking group came down with the shits after drinking untreated water from the stream.

Usage: Always used with 'the' in this sense.

Teaching tip: This is highly offensive in professional or polite settings; students should use 'diarrhea' or 'stomach bug' instead.

## Examples

- He stayed home because he had the shits.
- I think that old seafood gave me the shits because I've been in the bathroom all morning.
- The traveler warned us that drinking the local tap water would almost certainly result in a bad case of the shits before the week was out.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.