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

Los Angeles is still reeling from the ongoing wildfires that have turned the city upside down since early January. —Dahvi Shira, Forbes, 13 Jan. 2025

As devastating wildfires threaten that community, many of those who came to Malibu for healing are seeing their worlds turned upside down. —Alyssa Goldberg, USA TODAY, 10 Jan. 2025

About porcelain artists whose lives are turned upside down by the war in Ukraine, the doc is being released via a service deal with Picturehouse. —Addie Morfoot, Variety, 8 Jan. 2025

But the civil war that broke out in April 2023 turned that easy life upside down. —Kate Okorie, The Christian Science Monitor, 7 Jan. 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

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