as in complaining
to express dissatisfaction, pain, or resentment usually tiresomely
tired of the kids bellyaching every time they're asked to mow the lawn or take out the trash
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of bellyaching
The phrase on the front led the group to burst into a bellyaching laughter.
—
Kansas City Star, 24 Mar. 2026
So stop the bleating and bellyaching over Bronzeville.
—Colleen Kujawa, Chicago Tribune, 18 Mar. 2026
But alas, developers Game Freak have opted to improve the aesthetics just enough to skirt online bellyaching rather than making any attempt to wow fans.
—Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 24 Sep. 2025
Kansas City Star, 24 Mar. 2026
So stop the bleating and bellyaching over Bronzeville.
—Colleen Kujawa, Chicago Tribune, 18 Mar. 2026
But alas, developers Game Freak have opted to improve the aesthetics just enough to skirt online bellyaching rather than making any attempt to wow fans.
—Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 24 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bellyaching
Verb
-
Elsewhere, Super Mario Galaxy is hardly complaining about coming in second ruling the roost for weeks, since it’s now focused on becoming the first film of the year to join the billion-dollar club after finishing Sunday with a global total of $871 million.—
Pamela McClintock,
HollywoodReporter,
26 Apr. 2026
-
The dog-waste donnybrook was similar to another recent clash in Brooklyn that saw a 75-year-old grandmother jumped and beaten for complaining that a dog walker was not cleaning up the pooch’s poop.—
Kerry Burke,
New York Daily News,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Richter’s grand slam Tuesday against Tinley Park ended with plenty of screaming and high-fives at home plate.—
Tony Baranek,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Any passengers not knocked out during the chaos or sucked out into the sky are generally screaming and grabbing for oxygen masks while Captain Rich makes a futile announcement about the importance of not panicking.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Seattle families deal with this all the time, and the city is packed with indoor options that will keep your crew happy — no need to endure whining.—
Lauren Schuster,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
23 Apr. 2026
-
On the other end, the Rockets were a complete mess, dissolving in two whining technical fouls in the third quarter that sealed their fate.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
But a male voice could be heard moaning in the background.—
Tim Stelloh,
NBC news,
3 Apr. 2026
-
One minute later, Pedro Neto was yellow-carded for moaning.—
Matt Slater,
New York Times,
5 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bellyaching.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bellyaching. Accessed 29 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
