upside down

American  

adverb

1. with the upper part undermost.

2. in or into complete disorder; topsy-turvy.

   The burglars turned the house upside down.

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upside down British  

adjective

1. (usually postpositive; upside-down when prenominal) turned over completely; inverted

2. informal (upside-down when prenominal) confused; muddled; topsy-turvy

   an upside-down world

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adverb

1. in an inverted fashion

2. in a chaotic or crazy manner

Other Word Forms

• upside-down adjective
• upside-downness noun

Etymology

Origin of upside down

1300–50; re-formation ( upside ) of Middle English upsedoun, earlier up so doun ( up, so ¹, down ¹; sense of so obscure)

Example Sentences

A hundred years later, the world has again been turned upside down—this time by revolutionary technological change.

From The Wall Street Journal

But no amount of money will make up for how the hack has turned his life upside down, he says.

From BBC

The stone floors have been swept and chairs are resting upside down on tables.

From Literature

"We have public spaces turned upside down," he told reporters.

From BBC

Coal held the cover upside down and shook it, but nothing came out.

From Literature