underbelly
the lower abdomen; posterior ventral area, as of an animal's body.
the lower surface of an object; underside: the underbelly of an airplane.
a vulnerable area; weak point: an attack on the soft underbelly of Europe.
a dark, seamy, often hidden area or side: a police officer continually exposed to the underbelly of society.
Origin of underbelly
1Words Nearby underbelly
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use underbelly in a sentence
Trader Joe’s pumpkin ravioli looks more like a lobster mushroom you might find in the woods, what with its deep orange top and its bright yellow underbelly.
Atwood’s exploration of the dark underbelly and unforeseen consequences of genetic engineering under unchecked capitalism make it well worth a read.
20 Essential Works of Climate Fiction for Your Reading List | smurguia | October 5, 2021 | Outside OnlineThe last four years have shown the dark underbelly of an America that has always existed.
The golden underbelly of a bridge near the Smithsonian Metro station has the unbridled, reaching shine of a sunrise.
D.C. is a city of grand monuments and federal buildings. These photos capture the often unseen poetic details. | Kelsey Ables | July 30, 2021 | Washington PostDiggins immediately rolled over, offering Ford her underbelly.
Emily Ford Hiked 1,200 Miles in the Dead of Winter | Grayson Haver Currin | May 4, 2021 | Outside Online
This year, with slightly more worldliness and way fewer drinks consumed, I could see the emotionally fraught underbelly.
The Craziest Date Night for Single Jews, Where Mistletoe Is Ditched for Shots | Emily Shire | December 26, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTShe shook me and we both saw its silver underbelly pass by the window of my fifth-floor walk-up in Greenwich Village.
In fact this is a fairly new subculture, albeit one with a dark underbelly of wax-smoking.
The press was at the height of its power when the Monica story began and Drudge was its underbelly.
But there is an ugly underbelly to this otherwise charming story and it is not exactly a new wrinkle either.
MLB’s Next Headache: Cartels, Gangsters, and Their Cuban Superstars | Peter C. Bjarkman | April 18, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTThe scout ship responded like a nervous horse and fluttered away as the rocket burned and arced beneath the underbelly.
The Sex Life of the Gods | Michael KnerrRepeatedly the two boys dived to jab and slash at the shark's soft underbelly.
Tom Swift and the Electronic Hydrolung | Victor AppletonGoode was peering at the ivory inlay on the underbelly of the stock.
Murder in the Gunroom | Henry Beam Piper
British Dictionary definitions for underbelly
/ (ˈʌndəˌbɛlɪ) /
the part of an animal's belly nearest to the ground
a vulnerable or unprotected part, aspect, or region
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Browse