underbelly

American  

[uhn-der-bel-ee] / ˈʌn dərˌbɛl i /

noun

plural

underbellies

1. the lower abdomen; posterior ventral area, as of an animal's body.

2. the lower surface of an object; underside.

   the underbelly of an airplane.

3. a vulnerable area; weak point.

   an attack on the soft underbelly of Europe.

4. a dark, seamy, often hidden area or side.

   a police officer continually exposed to the underbelly of society.

---

underbelly British  

/ ˈʌndəˌbɛlɪ /

noun

1. the part of an animal's belly nearest to the ground

2. a vulnerable or unprotected part, aspect, or region

---

Etymology

Origin of underbelly

First recorded in 1600–10; under- + belly

Example Sentences

And she suggests that the current state of the Epstein files exposes a darker underbelly.

From BBC • Feb. 6, 2026

He produces his own short-form videos, feeding an internet audience hungry for unfiltered views of L.A.’s underbelly.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 3, 2025

But those earnings have an ugly underbelly: ever-bigger losses at the generative AI startups that spend big on chips and data centers supplied by the profitable public companies.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 13, 2025

Martin wrote it, they said, to explore the underbelly of the “troubled teen” industry, particularly the camps that became popular in the 1990s, but in a way that is almost as semi-autobiographical as “Feel Good.”

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 25, 2025

On the underbelly of the Argo II, the glass bay doors split open.

From "Blood of Olympus" by Rick Riordan

Related Words

• basement
• bed
• floor
• ground
• seat
• underside