ups and downs

American  

plural noun

1. rises and falls of fortune; good and bad times.

   Every business has its ups and downs.

---

ups and downs British  

plural noun

1. alternating periods of good and bad fortune, high and low spirits, etc

---

ups and downs Idioms  

1. Good times and bad times, successes and failures, as in We've had our ups and downs but things are going fairly well now. This term was first recorded in 1659.

---

Etymology

Origin of ups and downs

First recorded in 1650–60

---

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

ups and downs

As he tells it, he has been around long enough to see past ups and downs, the trends, the cultural paradigm shifts.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 3, 2026

"I've been at this club for a long time and know there's always going to be ups and downs," he said.

From BBC ● Nov. 2, 2026

"Most of the market has stabilized, but we've had some ups and downs."

From Barron's ● Oct. 29, 2026

Having such a strong support system makes McKennah well-equipped to handle the ups and downs of volleyball and life.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 18, 2026

At Wits, I met many people who were to share with me the ups and downs of the liberation struggle, and without whom I would have accomplished very little.

From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

---