bel·ly-up
| \ ˈbe-lē-ˈəp
\
\
Definition of belly-up
(Entry 1 of 2)
: hopelessly ruined or defeated
especially
: bankrupt
the business went belly-up
belly up
verb
bellied up; bellying up; bellies up
Definition of belly up (Entry 2 of 2)
: to move close or next to
bellied up to the bar
Keep scrolling for more
Keep scrolling for more
Learn More about belly-up
Dictionary Entries near belly-up
See More Nearby EntriesStatistics for belly-up
Look-up Popularity
Cite this Entry
“Belly-up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/belly-up. Accessed 6 May. 2021.
Style: MLA
MLA
Chicago
APA
Merriam-Webster
Chicago
APA
Merriam-Webster
Comments on belly-up
What made you want to look up belly-up? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
Test Your Vocabulary
Star Wars Words Quiz
-
- The bounty portion of bounty hunters (such as Boba Fett) comes from a Latin word meaning
Test your visual vocabulary with our 10-question challenge!
TAKE THE QUIZ
Anagram puzzles meet word search.
TAKE THE QUIZLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Words at Play
Ask the Editors
Share belly-up
Time Traveler for belly-up
The first known use of belly-up was in 1880
See more words from the same year