up-and-down

American  

[uhp-uhn-daun] / 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.

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up-and-down British  

adjective

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

2. very steep; vertical

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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

See Examples For:

up-and-down

But as an investor, you should watch for the eventual warning signs of a slowdown and consider how to protect your portfolio through an up-and-down cycle.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 25, 2026

He said it has been an "up-and-down" season for Celtic but his team are still very much in the mix after their win at Fir Park.

From BBC ● May 14, 2026

“It’s been, obviously, an up-and-down season,” he said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 11, 2026

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

The urgent, high-pitched flutter of cricket wings, the up-and-down melody of songbirds, the first who-whooo of an owl.

From "The Thing About Jellyfish" by Ali Benjamin