fire in the belly
The emotional stamina and vigor, passion, or inner drive to achieve something, to take action, etc.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“She has the fire in her belly to become a professional athlete.”
“The coach noticed the young player had the fire in her belly, so he decided to give her a starting position.”
“Despite the repeated failures of his startup, the entrepreneur maintained a fierce fire in his belly that compelled him to try again.”
- 01
add fuel to the fire
To worsen a conflict between people; to inflame an already tense situation.
- 02
ball of fire
A person who is especially active, ambitious, hard-working, or high-achieving.
- 03
belly up
Dead or defunct.
- 04
belly up to the bar
To commit oneself to a challenge or task; to accept a responsibility; to acknowledge a fact.
- 05
catch fire
To become engulfed in flames, to combust.
- 06
Delhi belly
Digestive illness or diarrhea, especially if suffered by a visitor to India.
- 07
draw fire
To create a distraction that allows one's friends, co-workers, or other associates to gain an advantage over the distracted party.
- 08
escape fire
An unconventional or counterintuitive solution to a difficult problem.
Last updated August 10, 2026