Phrase guide

below the belt

prep_phrase · 5 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • UK: /bɪˈləʊ ðiː bɛlt/
  • US: /bəˈloʊ ðə bɛlt/
  • Australia: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

prep_phrase

Meaning 1

Of a punch, landing illegally, below the opponent's waist.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: boxing, government, hobbies, lifestyle, martial-arts, military, politics, sports, war

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

prep_phrase

Meaning 2

Unfair; dirty; not according to the generally accepted rules.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: broadly, idiomatic

Examples

  • Commenting on his bachelorhood in a debate on marital ethics was a bit below the belt, don't you think?

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

prep_phrase

Meaning 3

Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see below, the, belt.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • For quotations using this term, see Citations:below the belt.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

adjective satellite

Meaning 4

disregarding the rules (from the notion of an illegal low blow in boxing)

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • her accusations were below the belt

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

adverb

Meaning 5

in an unfair manner

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • they dealt with him unfairly
  • their accusations hit below the belt

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: unfairly

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

23 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Dutch: onder de gordel — (boxing) of a punch that lands below the opponent's waist
  • Finnish: vyön alle — (boxing) of a punch that lands below the opponent's waist
  • German: unter der Gürtellinie — (boxing) of a punch that lands below the opponent's waist
  • Hungarian: övön alul — (boxing) of a punch that lands below the opponent's waist
  • Hungarian: övön aluli — (boxing) of a punch that lands below the opponent's waist
  • Icelandic: undir beltisstað — (boxing) of a punch that lands below the opponent's waist
  • Irish: buille íseal — (boxing) of a punch that lands below the opponent's waist
  • Polish: poniżej pasa — (boxing) of a punch that lands below the opponent's waist
  • Russian: ни́же пояса (níže pojasa) — (boxing) of a punch that lands below the opponent's waist
  • Swedish: under bältet — (boxing) of a punch that lands below the opponent's waist
  • Dutch: onder de gordel — unfair; not according to the rules
  • Finnish: vyön alle — unfair; not according to the rules
  • French: déloyal — unfair; not according to the rules
  • French: en dessous de la ceinture — unfair; not according to the rules
  • German: unter der Gürtellinie — unfair; not according to the rules
  • Hungarian: övön alul — unfair; not according to the rules
  • Hungarian: övön aluli — unfair; not according to the rules
  • Icelandic: undir beltisstað — unfair; not according to the rules
  • Italian: scorretto — unfair; not according to the rules
  • Polish: poniżej pasa — unfair; not according to the rules
  • Russian: ни́же пояса (níže pojasa) — unfair; not according to the rules
  • Spanish: de golpe bajo — unfair; not according to the rules
  • Swedish: under bältet — unfair; not according to the rules