fire in the belly

alternative fire in one's belly

1. idiomaticThe emotional stamina and vigor, passion, or inner drive to achieve something, to take action, etc.

   Near-synonyms: ardor, drive, fervor, initiative, intestinal fortitude, moxie, spunk, zeal

   5 more examples

   Carlyle, indeed, had so much more depth and knowledge of the heart, his portraits of mankind are felt and rendered with so much more poetic comprehension, and he, like his favourite Ram Dass, had a fire in his belly so much more hotly burning than the patent reading lamp by which Macaulay studied.

   1894, Robert Louis Stevenson, Familiar Studies of Men and Books, Preface

   I felt no conviction of a burning sincerity, of that fire in the belly which made some of the wilder nonconformist parsons of my youth appear almost incandescent.

   1955 June 9, J. B. Priestley, “Billy Graham's Nothing New—In Fact, Perhaps, Below Par”, in Vancouver Sun, Canada, retrieved 20 Jun 2011

   “He has the fire in the belly to make this thing work,” said Mr. Emery.

   1987 September 27, Sam Howe Vernovek, “Keeping Low Profile, Ethics Panel Chief Aims for Thoroughness”, in New York Times, retrieved 20 Jun 2011

   In Washington, some Republicans are skeptical that Thune has the fire in the belly for the brutal campaign process.

   2011 January 27, Michael Crowley, “Decision Time for Senator John Thune”, in Time

   Sent back out by Johnson with fire in their bellies, England at last began to threaten as Manu Tuilagi smashed Sean Lamont and then sent Delon Armitage racing down the left touchline.

   2011 October 1, Tom Fordyce, “Rugby World Cup 2011: England 16-12 Scotland”, in BBC Sport

   Synonyms: ardor, drive, fervor, initiative, intestinal fortitude, moxie, spunk, zeal