- present participle of upset.
upsetting
Americanadjective
noun
Etymology
Origin of upsetting
Explanation
When something makes you feel worried or unhappy, it's upsetting. Learning some upsetting news right before bed can make it impossible to fall asleep. It's upsetting to lose your big chess tournament or have your dog run away. In fact, anything that causes you to feel disappointed, unsettled, or distressed is upsetting. For some people, clowns are hilarious; for others, they're deeply upsetting. This adjective's meaning comes from the verb upset, "turn over or capsize." Upsetting things make you feel like your life has been turned upside down — or upset.
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.
SpaceX also aggressively built up its satellite communications business with Starlink, upsetting executives who both rely on SpaceX rockets and compete with the internet service.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 2, 2026
Just as upsetting to Adel: When he tells Fatima that he loves her, she doesn’t respond in kind.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 12, 2026
"It was really upsetting, but I had no choice," says the University of Manchester student.
From BBC • Jun. 11, 2026
The interviews revealed the "pain of having no one to tell when something upsetting happens, and no one to share with when something joyful happens", Kim said.
From Barron's • Jun. 11, 2026
I cringe inside, wondering if it sounded like I meant the circumstances were more upsetting to people than Tariq's actual death.
From "How It Went Down" by Kekla Magoon
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.
