fire in the belly

Hello, you have come here looking for the meaning of the word fire in the belly. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word fire in the belly, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say fire in the belly in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word fire in the belly you have here. The definition of the word fire in the belly will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition offire in the belly, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.

English

WOTD – 30 November 2011

Alternative forms

Pronunciation

  • Audio (AU)(file)

Noun

fire in the belly

  1. (idiomatic) The emotional stamina and vigor, passion, or inner drive to achieve something, to take action, etc.
    • 1894, Robert Louis Stevenson, Familiar Studies of Men and Books, Preface:
      Carlyle, indeed, had so much more depth and knowledge of the heart, his portraits of mankind are felt and rendered with so much more poetic comprehension, and he, like his favourite Ram Dass, had a fire in his belly so much more hotly burning than the patent reading lamp by which Macaulay studied.
    • 1955 June 9, J. B. Priestley, “Billy Graham's Nothing New—In Fact, Perhaps, Below Par”, in Vancouver Sun, Canada, retrieved 20 June 2011:
      I felt no conviction of a burning sincerity, of that fire in the belly which made some of the wilder nonconformist parsons of my youth appear almost incandescent.
    • 1987 September 27, Sam Howe Vernovek, “Keeping Low Profile, Ethics Panel Chief Aims for Thoroughness”, in New York Times, retrieved 20 June 2011:
      “He has the fire in the belly to make this thing work,” said Mr. Emery.
    • 2011 January 27, Michael Crowley, “Decision Time for Senator John Thune”, in Time:
      In Washington, some Republicans are skeptical that Thune has the fire in the belly for the brutal campaign process.
    • 2011 October 1, Tom Fordyce, “Rugby World Cup 2011: England 16-12 Scotland”, in BBC Sport‎:
      Sent back out by Johnson with fire in their bellies, England at last began to threaten as Manu Tuilagi smashed Sean Lamont and then sent Delon Armitage racing down the left touchline.

Synonyms

Translations

Wikious
Boobota
Sagapedia