Belly up Meaning in English
expression
ˈbɛɫi/ /ˈəp
BEL-ee UP
bˈɛli/ /ˈʌp
BEL-ee UP
Definition
"Belly up" is an informal expression that means something has failed, gone bankrupt, or stopped working. Literally, it can also describe an animal floating dead on its back.
Usage & Nuances
Very informal, mostly used for businesses or projects (“The company went belly up”). Rarely used literally, except for dead fish or animals. Do not use in formal writing. Similar to 'go under' or 'go bust'.
Spanish: en quiebra - fracasado - patas arriba (literal)Portuguese (BR): quebrado - falido - de barriga para cima (literal)Portuguese (PT): falido - arruinado - de barriga para cima (literal)Chinese (Simplified): 破产 - 垮掉 - 仰面朝上（字面）Chinese (Traditional): 破產 - 垮掉 - 仰面朝上（字面）Hindi: दीवालिया हो जाना - नाकाम (मूर्त रूप में) - पेट ऊपर (शाब्दिक)Arabic: مفلس - فاشل - على ظهره (حرفيًا)Bengali: বন্ধ হয়ে যাওয়া - দেউলিয়া হয়ে যাওয়া - পিঠের ওপর ভেসে থাকা (মৃত)Russian: разориться - обанкротиться - всплыть брюхом вверх (о мёртвой рыбе)Japanese: 倒産する - うまくいかなくなる - 仰向けで浮かぶ（死んだ動物）Vietnamese: phá sản - thất bại - nổi bụng lên (cá chết)Korean: 망하다 - 파산하다 - 배가 위로 떠오르다(죽은 동물)Turkish: batmak - iflas etmek - sırtüstü yüzmek (ölü hayvan için)Urdu: دیوالیہ ہونا - ناکام ہونا - پیٹھ کے بل تیرنا (مردہ جانور)Indonesian: bangkrut - gagal total - mengapung terbalik (ikan/hewam mati)
Example Sentences
The store went belly up last year.
basic
Their plan went belly up after the mistake.
basic
Many restaurants went belly up during the crisis.
basic
Our project’s going belly up if we don’t fix this soon.
natural
When the market crashed, his business went belly up overnight.
natural
I bought some fish, but by morning they were all belly up in the tank.
natural