up-and-down

American  

[uhp-uhn-doun] / ˈʌp ənˈdaʊn /

adjective

1. moving alternately up and down.

   the up-and-down swing of levers; an up-and-down tune.

2. having an uneven surface.

   up-and-down countryside.

3. changeable.

   up-and-down luck.

4. perpendicular or nearly so.

   a straight up-and-down hillside.

---

up-and-down British  

adjective

1. moving, executed, or formed alternately upwards and downwards

2. very steep; vertical

---

adverb

1. backwards and forwards (along)

Other Word Forms

• up-and-downness noun

Etymology

Origin of up-and-down

First recorded in 1610–20

Example Sentences

McIlroy got up-and-down birdie from a bunker at 17 before he rolled in a 30-foot birdie putt from the fringe at the last.

From Barron's • Feb. 23, 2026

And even though he’s had an up-and-down first trip to the playoffs, the 23-year-old has also done enough to become the second youngest starting quarterback in Super Bowl history after the Miami Dolphins’ Dan Marino.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 26, 2026

“I want to be around for a long time — not just another teen up-and-down type of thing.”

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 22, 2026

Moore’s departure ends an up-and-down tenure at the University of Michigan.

From MarketWatch • Dec. 11, 2025

“They all begin with this single upright stroke followed by the three up-and-down lines. Just the way you drew it.”

From "Inkheart" by Cornelia Funke