upside down

American  

adverb

1. with the upper part undermost.

2. in or into complete disorder; topsy-turvy.

   The burglars turned the house upside down.

---

upside down British  

adjective

1. (usually postpositive; upside-down when prenominal) turned over completely; inverted

2. informal (upside-down when prenominal) confused; muddled; topsy-turvy

   an upside-down world

---

adverb

1. in an inverted fashion

2. in a chaotic or crazy manner

Other Word Forms

• upside-down adjective
• upside-downness noun

Etymology

Origin of upside down

1300–50; re-formation ( upside ) of Middle English upsedoun, earlier up so doun ( up, so ¹, down ¹; sense of so obscure)

Example Sentences

Among the memorable moments was the reunion of Bauhaus and singer Peter Murphy performing “Bela Lugosi’s Dead” while hanging upside down like a bat.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 6, 2026

Our planet appears upside down, with the Sahara desert and the Iberian peninsula visible to the left and the eastern portion of South America to the right.

From BBC • Apr. 5, 2026

The federal government has been promoting an upside down pyramid that features steak and cheese at the top, along with vegetables, to go along with its new dietary guidelines.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 31, 2026

"In fact, we were also able to confirm that previous impressions were probably viewed upside down and back to front."

From Science Daily • Mar. 12, 2026

“Albie Schaffhauser,” I said, standing on my tiptoes to look at the list upside down.

From Absolutely Almost by Lisa Graff