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.

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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

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Etymology

Origin of underbelly

First recorded in 1600–10; under- + belly

Example Sentences

The cloak of invincibility that Liverpool carried last season has been replaced by a soft - very soft - underbelly.

From BBC

Scotland have added new dimensions and layers to their game in recent times, but what has never been eradicated is their soft underbelly.

From BBC

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

The night concluded with an enthusiastic performance by Doja Cat on an outdoor stage in the shadow of the David Geffen Galleries, the lights girding its massive concrete underbelly like stars in the sky.

From Los Angeles Times

In “Gotham at War,” Mr. Wallace takes us on a fascinating excursion into both the now lost yet somehow familiar human superstructure, and the sometimes sordid underbelly, of the city we know today.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

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