up-and-down
Americanadjective
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moving alternately up and down.
the up-and-down swing of levers; an up-and-down tune.
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having an uneven surface.
up-and-down countryside.
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changeable.
up-and-down luck.
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perpendicular or nearly so.
a straight up-and-down hillside.
adjective
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moving, executed, or formed alternately upwards and downwards
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very steep; vertical
adverb
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of up-and-down
First recorded in 1610–20
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.
Crude futures settled lower in an up-and-down session with conflicting expectations for an agreement to end the U.S.-Iran stalemate.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 22, 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
“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
Mrs. Clarke spoke in that overly sweet, up-and-down singsong tone grown-ups sometimes use to steer children past awkward moments.
From "The Long-Lost Home" by Maryrose Wood
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
