English
editEtymology
editFrom the tendency of fish to float upside down when they die.
Pronunciation
editVerb
editgo belly-up (third-person singular simple present goes belly-up, present participle going belly-up, simple past went belly-up, past participle gone belly-up) (informal)
- To die.
- To fail or fold; especially, to be closed or shut down, or go out of business.
- I was sorry to hear that my favorite little restaurant went belly-up.
Synonyms
editTranslations
editgo bankrupt — see go bankrupt