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Underbelly: meaning, definitions and examples

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underbelly

 

[ หˆสŒndษ™หŒbษ›li ]

Noun
Context #1 | Noun

of a city

The underbelly of a city refers to the darker, hidden, and often neglected aspects of urban life. It includes areas of poverty, crime, and social problems that are not always visible to the general public.

Synonyms

dark side, hidden side, seamy side

Examples of usage

  • The documentary shed light on the underbelly of the city, revealing the struggles of its marginalized residents.
  • Tourists often only see the glamorous side of the city, not the underbelly where many people are struggling to make ends meet.
Context #2 | Noun

of an organization

The underbelly of an organization refers to its vulnerable or weak points, often related to corruption, inefficiency, or unethical practices. It can also refer to the hidden agendas or power struggles within the organization.

Synonyms

soft underbelly, vulnerability, weak spot

Examples of usage

  • The scandal exposed the underbelly of the company, revealing widespread corruption among top executives.
  • It's important to address the underbelly of the organization in order to promote transparency and accountability.

Translations

Translations of the word "underbelly" in other languages:

๐Ÿ‡ต๐Ÿ‡น ventre

๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ณ เคจเคฟเคšเคฒเคพ เคญเคพเค—

๐Ÿ‡ฉ๐Ÿ‡ช Unterbauch

๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ฉ bawah perut

๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ฆ ะฝะธะท ะถะธะฒะพั‚ะฐ

๐Ÿ‡ต๐Ÿ‡ฑ spรณd

๐Ÿ‡ฏ๐Ÿ‡ต ่…น้ƒจ

๐Ÿ‡ซ๐Ÿ‡ท ventre

๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ vientre

๐Ÿ‡น๐Ÿ‡ท karฤฑn altฤฑ

๐Ÿ‡ฐ๐Ÿ‡ท ํ•˜๋ณต๋ถ€

๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ฆ ุจุทู†

๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ฟ podbล™iลกek

๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ฐ podbruลกko

๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ณ ไธ‹่…น้ƒจ

๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ฎ spodnji del trebuha

๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ธ neรฐri magi

๐Ÿ‡ฐ๐Ÿ‡ฟ ั‚ำฉะผะตะฝะณั– ั–ัˆ

๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ช แƒฅแƒ•แƒ”แƒ“แƒ แƒ›แƒฃแƒชแƒ”แƒšแƒ˜

๐Ÿ‡ฆ๐Ÿ‡ฟ qarฤฑnฤฑn altฤฑ

๐Ÿ‡ฒ๐Ÿ‡ฝ vientre

Word origin

The term 'underbelly' originated in the mid-19th century, derived from the combination of 'under' and 'belly'. It originally referred to the soft underpart of an animal's body. Over time, it evolved to metaphorically represent the hidden or vulnerable aspects of various entities, such as cities or organizations.

See also: under, underage, underbody, underfed, underhanded, underling, underneath, underpants, underside, understand, underwear.

Word Frequency Rank

This word's position of #32,825 indicates it's among the more rare English words. While understanding it broadens your vocabulary, focus on more common words first.