upturned

American  

[uhp-turnd, uhp-turnd] / ʌpˈtɜrnd, ˈʌpˌtɜrnd /

adjective

1. turned or directed upward.

   upturned eyes.

2. turned over; upside down.

   an upturned canoe.

3. having a turned-up end.

   an upturned nose.

---

Etymology

Origin of upturned

First recorded in 1585–95; up- + turn + -ed ²

Example Sentences

On the outside, she was pretty enough—blond hair, watery blue eyes, upturned nose—but if a smile can make an ordinary person beautiful, a scowl can make a beautiful person ugly.

From Literature

I wait a long time with my face upturned toward the sky, and when at last I give up, dusk is settling over the mountains.

From Literature

It evokes a thatched hut, a giant upturned basket and, especially, a vacant, human-size cage—a trap in want of prey.

From The Wall Street Journal

Steel ribs encase the viewer, giving one the feeling of being in an upturned ship, as a soundtrack that ranges from gospel singing to mechanical clicks plays in the background.

From The Wall Street Journal

Successive face-lifts have finally erased the original’s daft, Cheshire Cat smile, formed by the grille’s upturned corners.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• upside-down