milk intolerance

3.9

A condition when the body cannot digest milk because it cannot break down milk sugar

noun
/mɪlk ɪnˈtɒlərəns/

Specialized

: intolerancia a la lactosa

Symptoms of milk intolerance can include bloating, gas, and abdominal pain after consuming milk.

Examples

People with milk intolerance often need to find alternatives to dairy in their diets.
Many adults suffer from milk intolerance, experiencing discomfort after drinking even small amounts of milk.
She has milk intolerance.
Many people suffer from milk intolerances.
Many adults suffer from milk intolerance, experiencing discomfort after drinking even small amounts of milk.
People with milk intolerance often need to find alternatives to dairy in their diets.
Symptoms of milk intolerance can include bloating, gas, and abdominal pain after consuming milk.

Synonyms

lactose intolerance

vsmilk intolerance

Specialized

4 3.5

The body cannot digest the sugar in milk, causing stomach pain

focuses on inability to digest dairy foods generally rather than only the sugar

lactase deficiency

vsmilk intolerance

Specialized

4.1

A condition where the body cannot digest the sugar in milk and dairy

refers to the digestion problem that results from that enzyme shortage

Surface Forms

milk intolerance singular

milk intolerances plural

Morphology

milk + intolerance

The meaning is directly compositional: 'intolerance' (an inability to tolerate or digest) applied to 'milk' yields 'an inability to digest or tolerate milk', so a learner who knows both words can derive the MWE. This noun–noun modification pattern is common cross-linguistically (cf. 'lactose intolerance' and equivalents in many languages), supporting immediate comprehension.

Etymology

Milk intolerance comes from the simple idea that the body 'cannot tolerate' milk: the word intolerance means the body reacts badly to it. That's why the phrase means the body cannot properly digest milk and people often get stomach pain, gas, or bloating after drinking it.