pit of the stomach
1
7.0
- noun
- /pɪt əv ðə ˈstʌmək/
:
hoyo del estómago
- The doctor explained that stress can lead to discomfort in the pit of the stomach area.
Examples
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After the unexpected announcement, a knot formed in the pit of the stomach of everyone in the room.
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When she heard the bad news, she felt a sinking sensation in the pit of the stomach.
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"He drew back his arm and hit me in the pit of the stomach.
Fiction book (1991) -
It's, it's a feeling that begins in the pit of the stomach, right, And rises up through the breast, out the mouths and ears, right.
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While feeling gently or tenderly drawn toward him, there is simultaneously an almost inconspicuous sensation of a vague knot in the pit of the stomach, as mentioned earlier.
Blog text (9) -
Then, they've got it: like a batter coming into his swing, a changing voice suddenly ringing true, they connect—a sock to the pit of the stomach, a blow to the eyes.
Fiction book (1991)
Synonyms
A small dip in the upper middle of the belly just below the breastbone
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase is compositionally built from 'pit' (a hollow) and 'stomach' (the belly), so a learner who knows the words can infer a physical hollow in the upper abdomen. However, its frequent idiomatic use to describe an anxious or sinking feeling is a figurative extension that is not fully predictable from the constituents alone, so the expression is only partially transparent.
Etymology
Pit of the stomach comes from the image of a small hollow or pit low in the upper stomach where people feel a sudden drop or 'butterflies' when they are nervous. That's why pit of the stomach is used for that hollow, sinking feeling of 'anxiety' or worry.