ups and downs

plural noun

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

   Every business has its ups and downs.

ups and downs

plural noun

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of ups and downs¹

First recorded in 1650–60

Idioms and Phrases

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.

Example Sentences

The history of tech is that there are ups and downs with every generation.

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As a cyclical industry, it has its ups and downs based on supply and demand, Kartsonas told MarketWatch.

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“But with K-beauty, the ups and downs are extreme. New brands are coming out all the time, and people are constantly chasing the next exciting thing.”

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“With each passing season, one is known to experience plenty of ups and downs,” Whistledown says in the teaser footage.

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But despite the ups and downs "we got through it all, so we will also get through this," she said.

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