upset
- to overturn: to upset a pitcher of milk.
- to disturb mentally or emotionally; perturb: The incident upset her.
- to disturb or derange completely; put out of order; throw into disorder: to upset a system; to upset a mechanism; to upset an apartment.
- to disturb physically: It upset his stomach.
- to defeat or overthrow an opponent that is considered more formidable, as in war, politics, or sports.
- Metalworking. to thicken the end of (a piece of heated metal) by hammering on the end against the length of the piece.
- to become upset or overturned.
- an upsetting or instance of being upset; overturn; overthrow.
- the defeat of a person, team, etc., that is considered more formidable.
- a nervous, irritable state of mind.
- a disordered or confused arrangement.
- Metalworking.
- a tool used for upsetting.
- something that is upset, as a bar end.
- overturned: an upset milk pail.
- disordered; disorganized: The house is upset.
- distressed; disturbed: She had an upset stomach. He is emotionally upset.
- Archaic. raised up.
Origin of upset
Synonyms for upset
See more synonyms for on Thesaurus.comAntonyms for upset
Related Words for upset
disturb, unsettle, spoil, dismay, bewilder, perturb, unnerve, distract, agitate, beat, win, overcome, overpower, outplay, disordered, confused, shocked, low, sick, agitatedExamples from the Web for upset
Contemporary Examples of upset
“I would recommend ginger tea first thing in the morning as a great way to ward off an upset stomach,” says White.
Hitchcock reacts as if he has an upset stomach--and that I gave it to him.
I thought if I cooperated it would make it better… I was so upset that day.
Exclusive: Michael Phelps’s Intersex Self-Proclaimed Girlfriend, Taylor Lianne Chandler, Tells AllAurora Snow
November 26, 2014
First, seeing my father in the middle of his row crying, and thinking, Why is dad so upset?
All Eyes on Anjelica Huston: The Legendary Actress on Love, Abuse, and Jack NicholsonAlex Suskind
November 10, 2014
And two, that as a public official you can make tough choices, do the right things for the right reasons, and upset some people.
Historical Examples of upset
Supposing—— It was cruel to excite and upset her just for that; it made the pain worse.
Life and Death of Harriett FreanMay Sinclair
I've been getting along all right; now you come and upset everything.
KMary Roberts Rinehart
The arrival of Winkleman would, he secretly admitted, upset him completely.
The Leopard WomanStewart Edward White
"I wouldn't let a thing like that upset me if I was you," she said.
The Foolish LoversSt. John G. Ervine
"Well, why don't you say upset, you horrible old Orangeman," she retorted.
The Foolish LoversSt. John G. Ervine
upset
- (also intr) to tip or be tipped over; overturn, capsize, or spill
- to disturb the normal state, course, or stability ofto upset the balance of nature
- to disturb mentally or emotionally
- to defeat or overthrow, usually unexpectedly
- to make physically illseafood always upsets my stomach
- to thicken or spread (the end of a bar, rivet, etc) by forging, hammering, or swagging
- an unexpected defeat or reversal, as in a contest or plans
- a disturbance or disorder of the emotions, body, etc
- a tool used to upset a bar or rivet; swage
- a forging or bar that has been upset in preparation for further processing
- overturned or capsized
- emotionally or physically disturbed or distressed
- disordered; confused
- defeated or overthrown
Word Origin for upset
Word Origin and History for upset
mid-15c., "to set up, fix," from up + set (v.). Cf. Middle Dutch opsetten, German aufsetzen. Modern sense of "overturn, capsize" (1803) is that of obsolete overset. Meaning "to throw into mental discomposure" is from 1805. The noun sense of "overturning of a vehicle or boat" is recorded from 1804.