as in cramps
abdominal pain especially when focused in the digestive organs
eating too many apples will give you a bellyache
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
as in to complain
to express dissatisfaction, pain, or resentment usually tiresomely
tired of the kids bellyaching every time they're asked to mow the lawn or take out the trash
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of bellyache
Alphonse Pierre, Pitchfork, 8 Mar. 2024
No place to stay Reaching San Antonio, Dieuvena, Banel and Matéo Sebastien slept at the airport, waiting for a flight to Boston, during which time the 4-year-old boy began complaining of a bellyache.
—Liam Reilly, CNN, 30 Apr. 2023
Counterpoint When Chrysler swallowed AMC, we flinty-eyed industry observers wondered if Lee Iacocca would end up with a bellyache.
—Larry Griffin, Car and Driver, 11 Apr. 2023
Just a sweet glide across the land, no bellyache from a jostle.
—Arkansas Online, 30 June 2021
Some adverse reactions to look out for can be diarrhea and bellyaches.
If your canine (and their stomach) loves the new snack, then great.
—Jackie Frere, Woman's Day, 2 Apr. 2019
But rather than bellyache, why not follow the lead of McDonald’s and de-invent them?
—Joe Queenan, WSJ, 9 Nov. 2018
With the stadium being mostly privately financed the naysayers are going to have something else to whine and bellyache about.
—John Canzano, OregonLive.com, 17 Apr. 2018
The intersection between sports and pop culture in America has existed at least since Babe Ruth’s famous bellyache in 1925.
—Ken Belson, New York Times, 15 July 2016
Dan Rodricks, Baltimore Sun, 8 Mar. 2024
Whereas Michael Myers paced calmly in a silly jumpsuit, Lewis bellyached in moody black outfits.
—Jason Zinoman, New York Times, 29 Feb. 2024
DeSantis hasn’t ceased bellyaching about being outmaneuvered by Disney’s lawyers.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 26 Apr. 2023
At the heart of the espalier is the stake about which Grenadiers are known to bellyache.
—Paul Muldoon, The New York Review of Books, 24 Sep. 2020
All of us have cheated this way before and hopefully didn’t bellyache too loudly when we were called out for it.
—Don Yaeger, Forbes, 16 June 2021
But grousing over presidential vacations is a bit of a political charade; Democrats bellyache about Republican presidents taking time off and vice versa, but even a commander in chief needs some downtime.
—Stephen Collinson, CNN, 3 June 2021
The city rebranded a different street as Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, though not without bellyaching among the citizenry.
—Sarah Vowell, New York Times, 14 Apr. 2020
But on a losing team that couldn’t get him the football, Sanders made faces and bellyached.
—Mark Kiszla, The Denver Post, 23 Oct. 2019
Noun
The silence at least gave the crowd space to bellyache and boo.
—Alphonse Pierre, Pitchfork, 8 Mar. 2024
No place to stay Reaching San Antonio, Dieuvena, Banel and Matéo Sebastien slept at the airport, waiting for a flight to Boston, during which time the 4-year-old boy began complaining of a bellyache.
—Liam Reilly, CNN, 30 Apr. 2023
Counterpoint When Chrysler swallowed AMC, we flinty-eyed industry observers wondered if Lee Iacocca would end up with a bellyache.
—Larry Griffin, Car and Driver, 11 Apr. 2023
Just a sweet glide across the land, no bellyache from a jostle.
—Arkansas Online, 30 June 2021
Some adverse reactions to look out for can be diarrhea and bellyaches.
If your canine (and their stomach) loves the new snack, then great.
—Jackie Frere, Woman's Day, 2 Apr. 2019
But rather than bellyache, why not follow the lead of McDonald’s and de-invent them?
—Joe Queenan, WSJ, 9 Nov. 2018
With the stadium being mostly privately financed the naysayers are going to have something else to whine and bellyache about.
—John Canzano, OregonLive.com, 17 Apr. 2018
The intersection between sports and pop culture in America has existed at least since Babe Ruth’s famous bellyache in 1925.
—Ken Belson, New York Times, 15 July 2016
Verb
And the second major benefit to weekly recycling: People finally stop bellyaching about biweekly recycling.
—Dan Rodricks, Baltimore Sun, 8 Mar. 2024
Whereas Michael Myers paced calmly in a silly jumpsuit, Lewis bellyached in moody black outfits.
—Jason Zinoman, New York Times, 29 Feb. 2024
DeSantis hasn’t ceased bellyaching about being outmaneuvered by Disney’s lawyers.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 26 Apr. 2023
At the heart of the espalier is the stake about which Grenadiers are known to bellyache.
—Paul Muldoon, The New York Review of Books, 24 Sep. 2020
All of us have cheated this way before and hopefully didn’t bellyache too loudly when we were called out for it.
—Don Yaeger, Forbes, 16 June 2021
But grousing over presidential vacations is a bit of a political charade; Democrats bellyache about Republican presidents taking time off and vice versa, but even a commander in chief needs some downtime.
—Stephen Collinson, CNN, 3 June 2021
The city rebranded a different street as Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, though not without bellyaching among the citizenry.
—Sarah Vowell, New York Times, 14 Apr. 2020
But on a losing team that couldn’t get him the football, Sanders made faces and bellyached.
—Mark Kiszla, The Denver Post, 23 Oct. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bellyache
Noun
-
Symptoms can include dehydration, bloody diarrhea and abdominal cramps.—
George Monastiriakos,
Newsweek,
30 Dec. 2024
-
Cases typically last from four to seven days and include such symptoms as abdominal cramps, diarrhea and fever.—
George Monastiriakos,
Newsweek,
30 Dec. 2024
Verb
-
Pundits complained last year’s Cannes was a light affair, but that had to do with the bottleneck created by the strikes, for one.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
10 Apr. 2025
-
While speaking at a dinner hosted by the National Republican Congressional Committee on Tuesday, Trump complained over how the U.S. doesn’t manufacturer its own pharmaceuticals stating that tariffs on these products would be forthcoming.—
Joseph Choi,
The Hill,
9 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Some people may have stomachaches due to achlorhydria (low stomach acid production).—
Lana Barhum,
Verywell Health,
11 Apr. 2025
-
Physical symptoms of emotional distress (like headaches and stomachaches) is taxed, but physical injuries or sickness is not.—
Robert W. Wood,
Forbes,
24 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
Polley’s Polley ends up (understandably) screaming in frustration when Matt pratfalls his way into the shot, a tantrum the indie director could hardly relate to as someone known for facilitating calm, peaceful productions on intimate character studies.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
9 Apr. 2025
-
Footage shared on social media has shown moviegoers screaming, tossing buckets of popcorn in the air and enthusiastically applauding.—
Lisa Respers France,
CNN Money,
8 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
The one from Rucker felt like a routine stinger, nothing to whine about.—
Tyler Kepner,
New York Times,
27 Mar. 2025
-
One of her horses bucked and whined as she was loaded onto a trailer Tuesday morning, not wanting to get packed as cargo in a shipping container.—
Luis Melecio-Zambrano,
Mercury News,
25 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
Ramirez said the detectives had found belongings near the storm drain entrance and heard what sounded like a woman moaning from inside the storm drain.—
Teri Figueroa,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 Apr. 2025
-
Others had their heads and arms bandaged and were lined up on stretchers, moaning.—
Sui-Lee Wee,
New York Times,
28 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bellyache.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bellyache. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.
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