upside down

adverb

1. with the upper part undermost.

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

   The burglars turned the house upside down.

upside down

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

adverb

1. in an inverted fashion

2. in a chaotic or crazy manner

Other Word Forms

• upside-downness noun
• upside-down adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of upside down¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of upside down¹

C16: variant, by folk etymology, of earlier upsodown

Example Sentences

But last summer their lives were suddenly turned upside down.

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Others were burned with scalding water or hung upside down in a wardrobe.

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He continued: "My life has been turned upside down by these boys, young fellas, who went out on the street looking for somebody to kill. Unfortunately, Stephen was in their sight."

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At the food bank, Grahame Lucas said he worked to "turn frowns upside down".

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But as she lies in her bed at Cardiff's Llandough Hospital, she remembers the day her normal student lifestyle was turned upside down, and contemplates how she can return to an active lifestyle.

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