# Delhi belly

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/delhi-belly
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

Digestive illness or diarrhea, especially if suffered by a visitor to India.

## Examples

- I caught a bad case of Delhi belly after eating at that market.
- My brother has Delhi belly and cannot leave the bathroom today.
- Does this spicy curry give you Delhi belly?
- Many travelers worry about getting Delhi belly, so they stick to bottled water and cooked food.
- You should pack some basic medicine in your suitcase just in case you suffer from Delhi belly during your first week abroad.
- The tour guide warned us that washing fruit in tap water is a common way to get Delhi belly.
- Despite his careful efforts to avoid street food, he spent the final days of his trip confined to his hotel room with a severe case of Delhi belly.

## Origin

Attested as a twentieth-century coinage, the term originates from the gastrointestinal distress frequently experienced by foreign travellers visiting India. The city of Delhi was selected for the name primarily to facilitate a rhyme with belly, rather than to specify the exact site of the affliction.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.