Montezuma's revenge

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Montezuma's revenge

/ˌmɒn.təˈzuː.məz ɹɪˈvɛndʒ/ UK
/ˌmɔ.ɾ̃əˈzu.məz ɹəˈvɛndʒ/ US
/- ɹɪˈvɛndʒ/ US
/- ɹiˈvɛndʒ/ US
[ˌmɔ.nəˈzu.məz -] US

Where it comes from

Named for Montezuma or Moctezuma II (c. 1466 – 1520), the last Aztec ruler before the empire was conquered by the Spanish. The condition is seen as “retribution” for the massacres and enslavement of the Aztec people by the Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés on August 13, 1521.

noun Moctezuma’s revenge

euphemistic, humorous, uncountable Diarrhea experienced by tourists after drinking water or eating food in Mexico as a result of a microorganism to which native Mexicans are immune. Montezuma's Revenge, everybody knows, is the persistent intestinal illness that spoils the good humour of tourists in the tropics. Could there be a Montezuma's Revenge of the soul? There could. We caught it.
Similar: Aztec two-step

Translations

Every language

noun diarrhea experienced by a tourist in Mexico

Español	venganza de Moctezuma

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MLA

"Montezuma's revenge." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/montezuma's%20revenge. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

Montezuma's revenge. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/montezuma's%20revenge

Chicago

"Montezuma's revenge." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/montezuma's%20revenge.

BibTeX

@misc{montezuma_s_revenge_2026,
  title = {Montezuma's revenge},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/montezuma's%20revenge},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}