capsize
Americanverb (used with or without object)
-
to turn bottom up; overturn: With a strong kick he capsized the stool.
The ferry capsized and sank in minutes.
With a strong kick he capsized the stool.
-
to upset or collapse: He has a secret that could capsize his career.
Their marriage almost capsized when they lost their only child.
He has a secret that could capsize his career.
verb
Synonym Usage
See upset.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
-
capsizalnoun
-
capsizableadjective
-
noncapsizableadjective
-
uncapsizableadjective
-
uncapsizedadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
capsizesimple
-
capsizessimple
-
have capsizedperfect
-
has capsizedperfect
-
am capsizingprogressive
-
are capsizingprogressive
-
is capsizingprogressive
-
have been capsizingperfect progressive
-
has been capsizingperfect progressive
Past
-
capsizedsimple
-
had capsizedperfect
-
was capsizingprogressive
-
were capsizingprogressive
-
had been capsizingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of capsize
First recorded in 1780–90; origin uncertain
Explanation
To capsize is to overturn, and it usually happens to boats. Don't rock the boat, baby, or you might just capsize. When a boat tips over in a lake, it capsizes, and so does a boy who is sitting on an inner tube when it flips suddenly. Anything overturning in a body of water can be said to capsize. Sometimes vessels that capsize can be righted, like a canoe, and other times they sink to the bottom of the sea. The origin of capsize is uncertain, though it may be related to the Spanish word capuzar, "sink by the head."
Vocabulary lists containing capsize
Refugee
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Boy: Tales of Childhood
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
A Long Way Gone
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
See Examples For:
“The supply shocks from either would already rock the boat; both together would capsize global markets like a perfect storm,” said Raj.
From MarketWatch ● Jan. 12, 2026
A high tide can wash people offshore and capsize small boats near shore.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 3, 2025
In the high north, they pose an additional threat: Sea spray carried at high wind speeds can freeze upon contact with a ship and, if allowed to build up, capsize it.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 30, 2025
"There were no storms or waves but the boat was overloaded," Ephesien Mpambi, a friend of Jean-Florent's told AFP of the fatal capsize.
From Barron's ● Oct. 13, 2025
Yet Congolese pirogues are made of such dense wood if they capsize they sink like a rock.
From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver
Until that date is set we can only quote what Helly tells Mark S. before he turns on himself and capsizes our expectations.
From Salon ● Mar. 22, 2025
It is the latest in a string of migrant boat capsizes off Tunisia's coast in the last few days, with five others sinking in the past four days.
From BBC ● Mar. 26, 2023
“I’d sum up our season as a wild ride. It has had everything: crashes, capsizes, broken bones, collisions, you name it we’ve been there,” he said.
From Seattle Times ● Jan. 27, 2022
In that scene, her character, Maria, falls into the water along with the seven Von Trapp children as the boat capsizes.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 19, 2019
But if The Dessoug capsizes or breaks apart, none of those letters will be found.
From "The (Mostly) True Story of Cleopatra's Needle" by Dan Gutman
At least 41 people died after a ferry capsized off the coast of Guyana over the weekend, the government said Tuesday.
From Barron's ● Jul. 21, 2026
An aging ferry carrying more than 100 people capsized off the coast of Guyana, with 67 saved and rescue teams searching for the rest, officials said Sunday.
From Barron's ● Jul. 19, 2026
A group of 20 passengers were aboard the Volare for a memorial service to honor a loved one when the boat capsized.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 18, 2026
It is very likely that they both capsized.
From BBC ● Jul. 17, 2026
Several bowls of soup line the ground, capsized and half-spilled.
From "Kwame Crashes the Underworld" by Craig Kofi Farmer
"Based on the statements of the crew ... there was no alarm or public address that took place during the emergency prior to the sinking and capsizing of the ship," he said.
From Barron's ● Feb. 11, 2026
A government spokesperson said the capsizing was "a tragic incident" and "sympathies remain with the survivors and the loved ones of those who lost their lives."
From BBC ● Feb. 5, 2026
Abdoul Aziz Balde sobbed as he spoke of his son Idrissa, who left Guinea in search of a better future, but has not been heard from since capsizing off the Moroccan coast.
From Barron's ● Dec. 17, 2025
Before the U.S. military strikes, he said, his main concerns were capsizing, drowning and arrest.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 28, 2025
Like the Deanes so many years before him, he was particularly familiar with the 1782 capsizing of the Royal George, which had gone down in the Solent with more than eight hundred souls aboard her.
From "Shipwrecked!" by Martin W. Sandler
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.
