Synonyms

upsetting

American

[uhp-set-ing] / ʌpˈsɛt ɪŋ /

adjective

tending to disturb or upset.

an upsetting experience.

upsetting British

/ ʌpˈsɛtɪŋ /

noun

metallurgy the process of hammering the end of a heated bar of metal so that its width is increased locally, as in the manufacture of bolts

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of upsetting

First recorded in 1870–75; upset + -ing ²

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.

Not even a white lie to avoid upsetting someone?

From The Wall Street Journal

“I can understand how this might be upsetting to you. That ‘FBI’ title frightens people sometimes.

From Literature

The 52-year-old said the situation was deeply upsetting for the whole family and it was "totally unacceptable" that her children were placed in the position of delivering bad news about their grandfather's condition.

From BBC

"It's a bit upsetting to see that, isn't it?" says Liu.

From BBC

"For The Mail to access it before the parents themselves - it was outrageous, invasive, and upsetting. It left us asking, 'If they can get this, what else can they get?'"

From BBC

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023