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 ( see upside) of Middle English upsedoun, earlier up so doun ( see up, so ¹, down ¹; sense of so obscure)

Example Sentences

“I had to put the table upside down and use a chisel and grinder to remove as much material as I could. It took us three tries to get the table right.”

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 8, 2026

Among the memorable moments was the reunion of Bauhaus and singer Peter Murphy performing “Bela Lugosi’s Dead” while hanging upside down like a bat.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 6, 2026

Unfortunately, the takeover battle was won just hours before the Iran war turned their financial worlds upside down.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 20, 2026

She was working as an intensive care nurse when her life was turned upside down.

From BBC • Mar. 16, 2026

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

From "The Bletchley Riddle" by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin