below the belt

below the belt

English

Pronunciation

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Prepositional phrase

below the belt

1. (boxing) Of a punch, landing illegally, below the opponent's waist.
2. (by extension, idiomatic) Unfair; dirty; not according to the generally accepted rules.

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

Derived terms

• hit below the belt, most common verb form

Translations

(boxing) of a punch that lands below the opponent's waist

Dutch: onder de gordel Finnish: vyön alle German: unter der Gürtellinie Hungarian: övön alul, övön aluli

Icelandic: undir beltisstað Russian: ни́же пояса (ru) (níže pojasa) Swedish: under bältet (sv)

unfair; not according to the rules

Dutch: onder de gordel Finnish: vyön alle French: déloyal (fr), en dessous de la ceinture (fr) German: unter der Gürtellinie Hungarian: övön alul, övön aluli

Icelandic: undir beltisstað Italian: scorretto (it) Russian: ни́же пояса (ru) (níže pojasa) Swedish: under bältet (sv)

See also

• low blow
• under one's belt