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

At the center of this story are Graham Hornigold, a renowned British pastry chef, and a woman who goes solely by the name Dionne, who claimed to be his mother and would turn his life upside down in the months that followed their reunion. —Isabella Wandermurem, TIME, 25 Mar. 2025

Good vibes 💪 ‘Fuel for the fire’: Billy Monger was 17 when an accident turned his world upside down and left him fighting for his life. —Daniel Wine, CNN, 24 Mar. 2025

Along with her mom, Elle's older sisters Mia, 28, and Demi Yona, 26, have spoken to Newsweek about her life-changing diagnosis which turned their family upside down. —Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 22 Mar. 2025

With the emergency room turned upside down, production designer Nina Ruscio, who had immersed herself into the world of hospital design to build the show’s set, found herself with a new challenge. —Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 21 Mar. 2025

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

Rhymes for upside down

• adown
• blowdown
• breakdown
• countdown
• crackdown
• crosstown
• downtown
• drawdown
• dropdown
• facedown
• godown
• hometown

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