Belly — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

noun verb /ˈbe-lē/ bel·ly

Meaning & Definition of Belly

Belly (noun)

  1. abdomen; also, potbelly
  2. the stomach and its adjuncts
  3. the undersurface of an animal's body; also, hide from this part

Belly (verb)

  1. to cause to swell or fill out
  2. swell, fill
  3. to slide or crawl on one's belly

Belly (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. a need or desire for food

    "as dinnertime approached he could think only of his belly"

    similar: appetite, emptiness, famishment, hunger, munchies, stomach
    related: rapaciousness, rapacity, ravenousness, voraciousness, voracity, malnutrition, starvation, undernourishment, craving, sweet tooth, famine, fast, hunger strike, gluttony, gourmandism, greed, hoggishness
    opposite: inappetence
    near: fill, fullness, glut, repleteness, repletion, satiation, satiety, satisfaction, surfeit

  2. an enlarged or bulging abdomen

    "worked hard to get rid of his belly in time to attend his class reunion"

    similar: bay window, beer belly, corporation, gut, paunch, pot, potbelly
    related: breadbasket (slang), stomach, tummy, chubbiness, corpulence, fat, fatness, fleshiness, obesity, overweight, paunchiness, plumpness, portliness, pudginess, chunkiness, heaviness, stoutness

  3. the part of the body between the chest and the pelvis

    "a baby with a round little belly"

    similar: abdomen, breadbasket (slang), gut, solar plexus, stomach, tummy
    related: middle, midriff, waist, paunch, potbelly, thorax

  4. the seat of one's deepest thoughts and emotions

    "in my belly I knew that he wasn't telling the truth, as the details of his story just didn't add up"

    similar: blood, bone(s), bosom, breast, core, gut, heart, heartstrings, inner space, inside, quick, soul
    related: conscience, mind

Belly (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to extend outward beyond a usual point

    "the sails slowly bellied as the wind picked up"

    similar: bag, balloon, beetle, billow, bulge, bunch, jut, overhang, poke, pooch (chiefly dialect), pouch, pout, project, protrude, stand out, start, stick out, swell
    related: dome, blow up, inflate, dilate, distend, expand, mushroom, snowball, elongate, extend, lengthen, stretch
    near: compress, condense, constrict, contract, shrink

  2. to move slowly with the body close to the ground

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

    similar: crawl, creep, grovel, slide, slither, snake, worm, wriggle
    related: crouch, squat, edge, inch, nose, skulk, sneak, steal, tiptoe

Related Entry: Belly laugh (noun)

Belly laugh is a different word from Belly. The synonyms below are for belly laugh, not for belly.

  1. an explosive sound that is a sign of amusement

    "humorous anecdotes that are likely to evoke lots of smiles but few belly laughs"

    similar: boff, boffola, cachinnation, cackle, chortle, chuckle, giggle, guffaw, hee-haw, horselaugh, laugh, laughter, snicker, snigger, titter, twitter
    related: crow, whoop, grin, simper, smile, smirk
    near: cry, groan, moan, sob, wail, face, frown, grimace, lower, mouth, pout, scowl

Related Entry: Belly up (verb)

Belly up is a different word from Belly. The synonyms below are for belly up, not for belly.

  1. to come near or nearer

    "belly up to the buffet table and help yourselves"

    similar: approach, close, close in, come up, draw on, near, nigh
    related: arrive, attain, come, gain, hit, land, make, reach, show up, turn up, waltz (up), creep up, sneak up, adjoin, border, touch, verge
    opposite: back (up or away), recede, retire, retreat, withdraw
    near: clear out, depart, exit, go, leave, light out, pull out, quit, remove, run away, shove (off), take off, walk out

Related Entry: Belly flop (verb)

Belly flop is a different word from Belly. The synonyms below are for belly flop, not for belly.

  1. as in plunk, plump

    similar: plump, plunk, dip, immerse, submerge, dive, pitch, plunge, sound
    opposite: surface

Related Entry: Belly flop (noun)

Belly flop is a different word from Belly. The synonyms below are for belly flop, not for belly.

  1. as in header, swan dive

    similar: header, jackknife, swan dive, descent, drop, fall, plump, slip, spill, stumble, tumble, dip, immersion, submersion, dive, pitch, plunge
    opposite: jump, leap

Related Entry: Belly flopped (verb)

Belly flopped is a different word from Belly. The synonyms below are for belly flopped, not for belly.

  1. as in plunked, plumped

    similar: plumped, plunked, dipped, immersed, submerged, dived, pitched, plunged, sounded
    opposite: surfaced

Related Entry: Belly flopping (verb)

Belly flopping is a different word from Belly. The synonyms below are for belly flopping, not for belly.

  1. as in plunking, plumping

    similar: plumping, plunking, dipping, immersing, submerging, diving, pitching, plunging, sounding
    opposite: surfacing

Related Entry: Belly flops (noun)

Belly flops is a different word from Belly. The synonyms below are for belly flops, not for belly.

  1. as in headers, swan dives

    similar: headers, jackknives, swan dives, descents, drops, falls, plumps, slips, spills, stumbles, tumbles, dips, immersions, submersions, dives, pitches, plunges
    opposite: jumps, leaps

Related Entry: Belly flops (verb)

Belly flops is a different word from Belly. The synonyms below are for belly flops, not for belly.

  1. as in plunks, plumps

    similar: plumps, plunks, dips, immerses, submerges, dives, pitches, plunges, sounds
    opposite: surfaces

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Belly

The most common words with a similar meaning to Belly:

Slang: breadbasket
Chiefly dialect: pooch
appetite, emptiness, famishment, hunger, munchies, stomach, bay window, beer belly, corporation, gut, paunch, pot, potbelly, abdomen, solar plexus, tummy, blood, bone(s), bosom, breast, core, heart, heartstrings, inner space, inside, quick, soul, bag, balloon, beetle, billow, bulge, bunch, jut, overhang, poke, pouch, pout, project, protrude

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Belly

Words with the opposite meaning of Belly:

inappetence

Related Words for Belly

rapaciousness, rapacity, ravenousness, voraciousness, voracity, malnutrition, starvation, undernourishment, craving, sweet tooth, famine, fast, hunger strike, gluttony, gourmandism, greed, hoggishness, chubbiness, corpulence, fat, fatness, fleshiness, obesity, overweight, paunchiness, plumpness, portliness, pudginess, chunkiness, heaviness

Near Antonyms of Belly

fill, fullness, glut, repleteness, repletion, satiation, satiety, satisfaction, surfeit, compress, condense, constrict, contract, shrink

Word Forms of Belly

Inflections: bellies, bellied, bellying

Origin & Etymology of Belly

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

First known use: before 12th century

Words & Phrases Containing Belly

belly button, belly dance, belly flop, belly-land, belly laugh, belly-up, belly up, belly up to

Frequently Asked Questions about Belly

What does "Belly" mean?

"Belly" means abdomen; also, potbelly. As an a noun and a verb, it is defined as: abdomen; also, potbelly. It has 6 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Belly"?

Other words for "Belly" include appetite, emptiness, famishment, hunger, munchies, stomach, bay window and beer belly. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Belly" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Belly"?

There are 112 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Belly". Common alternatives include appetite, emptiness, famishment, hunger, munchies, stomach, bay window, beer belly, corporation and gut.

What is the opposite of "Belly"?

Antonyms of "Belly" include inappetence. Near antonyms include fill, fullness, glut and repleteness.

How do you use "Belly" in a sentence?

Examples of "Belly" in a sentence: "as dinnertime approached he could think only of his belly"; "worked hard to get rid of his belly in time to attend his class reunion"; "a baby with a round little belly".

Is "Belly" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Belly" can be used as a noun and a verb, depending on the context.

How do you pronounce "Belly"?

"Belly" is pronounced /ˈbe-lē/ and divided into syllables as bel·ly.

What is the origin of the word "Belly"?

"Belly" comes from Middle English bely bellows, belly, from Old English belg bag, skin; akin to Old High German balg bag, skin, Old English blāwan to blow blow:1. First known use: before 12th century.