upsetting
Americanadjective
noun
Etymology
Origin of upsetting
Explanation
When something makes you feel worried or unhappy, it's upsetting. Learning some upsetting news right before bed can make it impossible to fall asleep. It's upsetting to lose your big chess tournament or have your dog run away. In fact, anything that causes you to feel disappointed, unsettled, or distressed is upsetting. For some people, clowns are hilarious; for others, they're deeply upsetting. This adjective's meaning comes from the verb upset, "turn over or capsize." Upsetting things make you feel like your life has been turned upside down — or upset.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
One additional factor upsetting investors of late has been the continual weakness of the Korean currency USDKRW.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 9, 2026
The well-dressed Senate aide next door, who asked me not to use his name for fear of upsetting his boss, hadn’t heard about Trump’s fascination with Florsheim.
From Slate • Jun. 5, 2026
Most upsetting, though, was the directive that he and other industry operations investigators received in late summer to start spending at least six hours per week on immigration-related work.
From Salon • Jun. 2, 2026
"That's quite upsetting for me to hear. The last phone call I made to a ward manager, she might as well have just said that to me," she said, referring to the FOH initials.
From BBC • Jun. 1, 2026
“To tell her how upsetting what she wrote was,” Summer answered.
From "Auggie & Me" by R. J. Palacio
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
