topsy-turvy

[top-see-tur-vee]

adverb

1. with the top where the bottom should be; upside down.

2. in or into a reversed condition or order.

3. in or into a state of confusion or disorder.

adjective

1. turned upside down; inverted; reversed.

   a topsy-turvy reflection.

2. confused or disorderly.

   a topsy-turvy classroom.

noun

plural

topsy-turvies 

1. inversion of the natural order.

2. a state of confusion or disorder.

topsy-turvy

/ ˈtɒpsɪˈtɜːvɪ /

adjective

1. upside down

2. in a state of confusion

adverb

1. in a topsy-turvy manner

noun

1. a topsy-turvy state

Other Word Forms

• topsy-turvily adverb
• topsyturviness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of topsy-turvy¹

1520–30; perhaps variant of top syd turvye topside down (with loss of d before t ); turvy, variant of tervy, equivalent to obsolete terve to turn over (cognate with Old High German zerben ) + -y ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of topsy-turvy¹

C16: probably from tops, plural of _top ¹ + obsolete tervy to turn upside down; perhaps related to Old English tearflian to roll over

Example Sentences

Belgium’s topsy-turvy nuclear debate is a reflection of how radically perceptions of nuclear power have changed across the West and beyond in just a few years.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

The topsy-turvy encounter continued with each of the first five points going against serve before the 2021 US Open semi-finalist closed out the match after four hours and 13 minutes.

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Hull, the runner-up in 2023, went through a topsy-turvy first round.

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But Djokovic's struggles continued, with the Serb eventually falling to a sixth break point in a marathon second game to set the tone for a topsy-turvy second set.

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But this time Xu responded with a break of her own and a topsy-turvy encounter followed as neither player could hold onto their serve.

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Related Words

• chaotic 
• confused 
• disarranged www.thesaurus.com
• disorderly