belly flop

/ˈbɛli flɑp/
noun
  1. A dive or jump into water in which the front of the body hits the water flat, often causing a loud slap and pain.
    • My little brother tried a belly-flop and came up crying.
    • He did a belly-flop off the diving board and everyone winced.
    • The pool echoed with the sound of a clumsy belly-flop.
  2. A clumsy or unsuccessful attempt at something, especially a performance or project that fails badly.
    • The new movie was a belly-flop at the box office.
    • The company's product launch turned into a belly-flop.
    • His speech was a total belly-flop; nobody laughed at his jokes.
verb
  1. To dive or jump into water so that the front of the body hits the water flat.
    • The kids dared each other to belly-flop off the dock.
    • Don't belly-flop from that high rock—it will hurt.
    • She belly-flopped into the lake and splashed everyone nearby.
  2. To fail or perform poorly in a dramatic or embarrassing way.
    • The comedian belly-flopped on stage and left early.
    • Our team belly-flopped in the championship game.
    • The new restaurant belly-flopped and closed after a month.
Synonyms
What does "belly flop" mean? | whatsthatwordmean | whatsthatwordmean