# fire in the belly

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/fire-in-the-belly
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

The emotional stamina and vigor, passion, or inner drive to achieve something, to take action, etc.

## Examples

- 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.

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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.