Synonyms

upsetting

American

[uhp-set-ing] / ʌpˈsɛt ɪŋ /

adjective

tending to disturb or upset.

an upsetting experience.

upsetting British

/ ʌpˈsɛtɪŋ /

noun

metallurgy the process of hammering the end of a heated bar of metal so that its width is increased locally, as in the manufacture of bolts

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of upsetting

First recorded in 1870–75; upset + -ing ²

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.

Tracy says she "cannot describe how upsetting and frustrating" it was to deal with NS&I when trying to find her late father's premium bonds.

From BBC • Mar. 26, 2026

The jury foreperson, who gave the verdicts in court, wiped her eyes as the judge thanked them for their attention to the "upsetting" case.

From BBC • Mar. 16, 2026

Team Italy became an unlikely darling of the WBC, sweeping the opening round and upsetting the U.S. to become one of three undefeated teams.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 13, 2026

Like no one ever really cries and it’s not upsetting.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 10, 2026

In September, he had returned to school to discover that the boys who had made him miserable were small, soft things no longer capable of upsetting him.

From "American Gods" by Neil Gaiman

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023