belly

1 of 2

noun

bel·​ly ˈbe-lē 

plural bellies

1

a

: abdomen sense 1a

also : potbelly sense 1

b

: the stomach and its adjuncts

c

: the undersurface of an animal's body

also : hide from this part

d

: womb, uterus

2

a

: an internal cavity : interior

b

: a central place where something is most prevalent, concentrated, or deeply ingrained

… he became the hottest songwriter in Nashville, an antiauthoritarian smack-dab in the belly of the establishment.

—Tony Scherman

—often used in the phrase the belly of the beast to refer especially to a dangerous or hostile place or situation

Meanwhile, the very best bodies of America are in prison, pumping iron in the belly of the beast.

—Robert Lipsyte

3

: appetite for food

4

: a surface or object curved or rounded like a human belly

5

a

: the enlarged fleshy body of a muscle

b

: the part of a sail that swells out when filled with wind

6

: gut sense 4

belly

2 of 2

verb

bellied; bellying

transitive verb

: to cause to swell or fill out

wind bellying the sails

intransitive verb

1

: swell, fill

2

a

: to slide or crawl on one's belly

b

: belly-land

Synonyms

Noun

• stomach
• hunger
• appetite
• starvation

Verb

• protrude
• poke
• bulge

Examples of belly in a Sentence

Noun

He got down on his belly to crawl.

They slid down the snowy hill on their bellies.

a gray squirrel with a white belly

the belly of an airplane

the belly of a ship

Verb

the sails slowly bellied as the wind picked up

recruits were forced to belly over the obstacle course under simulated enemy fire

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

And even the chocolate, my favorite dessert, failed to please my belly. —Literary Hub, 21 Oct. 2025

Cardi appeared to shoot the clip either at home or an office of sorts, and in the visual, she is draped in a polka-dot dress, hugging her curves and pregnant belly. —Michael Saponara, Billboard, 20 Oct. 2025

Nearly two months after losing River, Smith belly-laughed for the first time while watching her two children be silly outside in the rain. —Stephanie Nolasco, FOXNews.com, 19 Oct. 2025

The fear grew when her 1-year-old boy's belly started to distend and his ribs were pressed against his skin. —Brad Schmitt, Nashville Tennessean, 19 Oct. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English bely bellows, belly, from Old English belg bag, skin; akin to Old High German balg bag, skin, Old English blāwan to blow — more at blow entry 1

Verb

verbal derivative of belly entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1606, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Phrases Containing belly

• beer belly
• belly button
• belly dance
• belly flop
• belly-land
• belly laugh
• belly up
• belly up to
• Delhi belly
• go belly-up
• pork belly

Rhymes for belly

• deli
• felly
• jelly
• kellie
• melly
• nellie
• nelly
• shelly
• skelly
• smellie
• smelly
• tele

Kids Definition

belly

1 of 2 noun

bel·​ly ˈbel-ē 

plural bellies

1

a

: abdomen sense 1

b

: the undersurface of an animal's body

also : hide from this part

c

: stomach entry 1 sense 1a

2

: an internal cavity : interior

3

: a curved or rounded surface or object

the belly of an airplane

belly

2 of 2 verb

bellied; bellying

: to swell or bulge out

Medical Definition

belly

noun

bel·​ly ˈbel-ē 

plural bellies

1

a

: abdomen sense 1a

b

: the undersurface of an animal's body

c

: womb, uterus

d

: the stomach and its adjuncts

2

: the enlarged fleshy body of a muscle