Meaning & use
Moctezuma's revenge
Last updated
Meaning
noununcountableinformalhumorous
An informal name for diarrhea that travelers sometimes get in Mexico, usually from food or water.
Grammar: Uncountable, so it takes a singular verb: Moctezuma's revenge is common among visitors.
Patterns
- get Moctezuma's revenge
- come down with Moctezuma's revenge
He joked that he got Moctezuma's revenge after eating street food in Mexico City.
Travelers are often warned about Moctezuma's revenge and advised to drink bottled water.
She stayed in her hotel room for two days with a bad case of Moctezuma's revenge.
Common combinations
- a case of Moctezuma's revenge
- The tour guide missed the trip because of a case of Moctezuma's revenge.
- get Moctezuma's revenge
- You might get Moctezuma's revenge if you drink the tap water.
- come down with Moctezuma's revenge
- Half the group came down with Moctezuma's revenge by the second day.
- a touch of Moctezuma's revenge
- He had a touch of Moctezuma's revenge but still made it to the ruins.
Synonyms and how they differ
- traveler's diarrhea
- The neutral, medical-sounding term; use it in serious or formal contexts instead of the humorous name.
- Montezuma's revenge
- A common alternative spelling of the same phrase; both spellings appear, but 'Moctezuma' is closer to the original name.
- Delhi belly
- A similar informal term, but it refers specifically to stomach trouble in India, not Mexico.
Commonly confused: Moctezuma's revenge or Montezuma's revenge?
Moctezuma's revenge vs Montezuma's revenge
This is just a different spelling of the same expression; neither version is more 'correct' in everyday use.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'Moctezuma's revenge' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Moctezuma's revenge' is an informal name for diarrhea caught in Mexico, so sentence 0 fits. The others treat it as a holiday, a school subject, or a dish, which is wrong.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “Moctezuma's revenge”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.