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.
Upsetting the supply could easily affect auto makers’ ability to keep production lines running smoothly.
From Barron's • Mar. 9, 2026
Upsetting as these demonstrations of classism and colorism are, Peggy and William’s seaside courtship is vital scenery infrequently dramatized in fictionalized histories.
From Salon • Aug. 11, 2025
Upsetting this system -- through shift work or long-distance travel over multiple time and light zones in humans, for example -- can have severe consequences.
From Science Daily • Dec. 28, 2023
Dean also called the feature, "Upsetting and hateful."
From Fox News • Aug. 12, 2019
Upsetting that inkwell was the kindest thing anybody ever did for me.”
From The Camp Fire Girls' Larks and Pranks or, The House of the Open Door by Frey, Hildegard G. (Hildegard Gertrude)
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.
