The stomach is the internal organ that digests our food. It’s in the centre of the body. It’s often referred to as ‘belly’ or ‘tummy’. The plural is ‘stomachs’.
stomach idioms list
Your stomach does more than just digest food, it’s also where you feel emotions! From nervous butterflies to gut feelings, there are plenty of English idioms that use the stomach to describe emotions, instincts, and reactions. Whether you’re feeling queasy with nerves, sick with worry, or trusting your gut, these stomach-related phrases add colour to conversations. Check out this list of common stomach idioms and their meanings!
beer belly
meaning – a big stomach due to eating/drinking too much
example – We need to go on a diet after our holiday. We’ve got beer bellies.
can’t stomach someone/something
meaning – dislike, hate, can’t tolerate
example – I can’t stomach that new boy in our class, he’s rude and obnoxious.
cast-iron stomach
meaning – can eat weird and wonderful food and not feel sick
example – I thought I had a cast iron stomach, but I was violently sick for the first 6 days of my holiday.
eyes bigger than one’s belly
meaning – take more food than you can eat
example – We always have eyes bigger than our bellies when we go to sushi restaurants.
go belly up
meaning – go spectacularly wrong
example – My new business venture went belly up in the first 6 months. I’m back working in a factory.
hard/difficult to stomach
meaning – hard to accept something that is wrong/unpleasant
example – Watching children beg on the street is hard to stomach.
have butterflies in one’s stomach
meaning – your stomach feels funny because you are scared, nervous, anxious etc.
example – I had butterflies this morning, but they went just before the exam.
haven’t got the stomach for something
meaning – not brave enough to do something unpleasant or daring
example – I couldn’t be a surgeon; I haven’t got the stomach for it.
turn one’s stomach
meaning – make you feel sick/disgusted
example – Our stomachs were turning on the rollercoaster.
You can download a table of ‘stomach’ idioms and expressions below.
If you’ve enjoyed this page, don’t forget to check out some more body idioms by clicking on the links below.