upside down

adverb

up·​side down ˈəp-ˌsīd-ˈdau̇n 

1

: in such a way that the upper and the lower parts are reversed in position

2

: in or into great disorder

turned their world upside down

upside-down

ˈəp-ˌsīd-ˈdau̇n 

adjective

Examples of upside down in a Sentence

You hung the picture upside down!

To remove the plant, turn the pot upside down and tap gently on the bottom to loosen it.

The baby was holding the book upside down.

Recent Examples on the Web

During the Roman festival of Saturnalia, ancestors of today’s Italians drank and indulged and turned the social order upside down. —Jennie Rothenberg Gritz, Smithsonian Magazine, 31 Dec. 2024

Since that tragic moment, life has been turned upside down for Kingsley's loved ones. —Quinlan Bentley, The Enquirer, 31 Dec. 2024

The decades-long way of making money in the film and TV industry has been turned upside down by new technologies, changing public appetites and the globalization of the workforce. —Defne Karabatur, Los Angeles Times, 30 Dec. 2024

She was tortured and was made to watch as others had their teeth pulled out with pliers or were hanged upside down from a ladder and beaten for hours. —Lynsey Addario, New York Times, 21 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

alteration of Middle English up so doun, from up + so + doun down

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

upside down

adverb

up·​side down ˌəp-ˌsīd-ˈdau̇n 

1

: with the upper part underneath and the lower part on top

2

: in or into great disorder

upside-down adjective

Legal Definition

upside down

adjective

: underwater

upside down mortgages

upside down homes

upside down homeowners