Definition

A condition during childbirth where the labor is slow or difficult, making delivery challenging.

Example

The doctor monitored the patient closely due to signs of dystocia during labor.

Conversation

I heard that she had a tough time during labor.

Yeah, they mentioned something about dystocia in the hospital.

That sounds really difficult; I hope everything's okay now.

Fortunately, the baby is fine, but it was a scary experience for them.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Dystocia is formed from "dys-" (meaning difficult or bad) and "tokos" (from Greek, meaning childbirth). The word describes a difficult or obstructed labor during childbirth.

Memory Tip

Think of 'dys-' meaning difficult and 'tokos' referring to childbirth — this helps you remember that dystocia means a difficult childbirth.

Visually Confused Words