up-and-down

[uhp-uhn-doun]

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

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of up-and-down¹

First recorded in 1610–20

Example Sentences

Mrs. Clarke spoke in that overly sweet, up-and-down singsong tone grown-ups sometimes use to steer children past awkward moments.

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Of those surface waves, Love waves shake from side to side, while Rayleigh waves roll in circles, creating up-and-down motion at the surface.

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A 2-0 win over Porto in his Europa League opener was followed by some up-and-down results, including a draw with Manchester United.

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Normally stalling storms tend to be dying out, as they pull up cold water from the depths of the ocean and are exposed to wavy, up-and-down winds in the atmosphere tearing them apart.

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At that point, Yoshinobu Yamamoto was mired in an up-and-down stretch following his All-Star selection in the first half of the year, raising worries he could be tiring en route to making a career-high 30 starts.

Read more on Los Angeles Times