belly 1 of 2

noun

ˈbe-lē How to pronounce belly (audio)
Definition of bellynext
1
as in stomach
a need or desire for food as dinnertime approached he could think only of his belly

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in corporation
an enlarged or bulging abdomen worked hard to get rid of his belly in time to attend his class reunion

Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in abdomen
the part of the body between the chest and the pelvis a baby with a round little belly

Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in soul
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

belly

2 of 2

verb

1
as in to protrude
to extend outward beyond a usual point the sails slowly bellied as the wind picked up

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to snake
to move slowly with the body close to the ground recruits were forced to belly over the obstacle course under simulated enemy fire

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 belly
Noun
Five to 10 slow belly breaths activate what researchers call the thoraco-abdominal pump. — Allison Palmer, Kansas City Star, 29 June 2026 At 370 feet long with 80 crew members, the ship has a helicopter landing pad and hangar, two rib boats in the belly of the vessel, and heavy artillery, including a cannon. — Tara Lynch, CBS News, 25 June 2026 And inside State Farm Arena, generations of soccer and music fans gathered in their wolf ears and belly dancing skirts for the first night of Shakira's Atlanta tour stop. — Irene Wright, USA Today, 27 June 2026 The brand includes more than 100 bears, each representing a distinct emotion or expression which are illustrated by their belly badges, including Cheer Bear, Bedtime Bear, Tenderheart Bear, Birthday Bear, Funshine Bear and Grumpy Bear. — Brent Lang, Variety, 30 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for belly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for belly
  1. stomach
  2. fat
  3. abdomen
  4. soul
  5. protrude
  6. snake
  7. hunger
  8. paunch
Noun
  • The goal is to make the stomach able to hold more food before the brain signals that the competitive eater is full.
    — Jennifer Borresen, USA Today, 3 July 2026
  • The parasite is killed by heat, so cooking normally takes care of it, but when the weather warms up and people look for ways to leave their stoves off, this stomach-churning bug finds an opening.
    — Brenda Goodman, CNN Money, 3 July 2026
Definition of stomach
Noun
  • As large amounts of sodium, fat, and calories enter the bloodstream, gastric emptying may take significantly longer than a typical meal.
    — Jennifer Borresen, USA Today, 3 July 2026
  • Once glycogen becomes critically low, the body relies on fat for energy.
    — Claire Maldarelli, Scientific American, 2 July 2026
Definition of fat
Noun
  • The abdomen may significantly protrude, pushing the diaphragm upward and making breathing more difficult.
    — Jennifer Borresen, USA Today, 3 July 2026
  • One of the victims suffered a gunshot wound to the head, while another was shot in the abdomen, according to a report from affiliate FOX 2 Detroit.
    — Alexandra Koch, FOXNews.com, 3 July 2026
Definition of abdomen
Noun
  • But the real coup is Dippold's command of tone, deftly pivoting between nightmarish, surreal, wickedly funny, and soul-stirring modes, sometimes within single scenes.
    — Samantha Highfill, Entertainment Weekly, 6 July 2026
  • The Bible’s message was seen as not only informative but salvific, and the monastic who memorized its words filled his or her soul with divine wisdom.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 July 2026
Definition of soul
Verb
  • The abdomen may significantly protrude, pushing the diaphragm upward and making breathing more difficult.
    — Jennifer Borresen, USA Today, 3 July 2026
  • Rugged slabs of rock speckled with glaciers and snowfields protrude through the clouds and overlook the entry to Grand Teton National Park.
    — Josh Laskin, Travel + Leisure, 3 July 2026
Definition of protrude
Verb
  • Food trucks reopened after the storm and long lines snaked around the vendor area.
    — Karissa Waddick, USA Today, 4 July 2026
  • The New River, which snakes through West Virginia, Virginia, and North Carolina, may be one of the oldest river systems on earth.
    — Josh Laskin, Travel + Leisure, 3 July 2026
Definition of snake
Noun
  • The concept has already spread to more than 50 cities across 30 states and 10 countries, tapping into a growing hunger for face-to-face connection that dating apps have failed to deliver.
    — Hanna Wickes, Sacbee.com, 2 July 2026
  • In polling across four states, voters were nearly unanimous that ending childhood hunger should be bipartisan.
    — Afdhel Aziz, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026
Definition of hunger
Noun
  • The hair may be grayer, the paunches a little more pronounced, and the joints a little creakier, but the Jackass promise of delivering the missing link between the Three Stooges and a snuff film remains.
    — David Fear, Rolling Stone, 25 June 2026
  • There is a funny thread of everyone thinking Woody’s getting a bit old – rocking a paunch and a poncho – while Buzz pines for Jessie.
    — Brian Truitt, USA Today, 16 June 2026
Definition of paunch

Phrases Containing belly

Browse Nearby Words

bellwethers
belly
bellyache
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Belly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/belly. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on belly

Nglish: Translation of belly for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about belly

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All