upset 1 of 3

upset

2 of 3

verb

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2
3

upset

3 of 3

noun

as in disruption
an act or instance of the order of things being disturbed the move to a new town is just the latest in a series of upsets for my family over the last year

Synonyms & Similar Words

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an upset child
an unhappy child
an agitated child
an emotional child
a distraught child
a perturbed child
upset customers
unhappy customers
displeased customers
unsatisfied customers
outraged customers
angry customers
an upset stomach
a sour stomach
an irritable stomach
an unsettled stomach
an uneasy stomach
a sick stomach

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb upset contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of upset are agitate, discompose, disquiet, disturb, fluster, and perturb. While all these words mean "to destroy capacity for collected thought or decisive action," upset implies the disturbance of normal or habitual functioning by disappointment, distress, or grief.

the family's constant bickering upsets the youngest child

When is it sensible to use agitate instead of upset?

While the synonyms agitate and upset are close in meaning, agitate suggests obvious external signs of nervous or emotional excitement.

in his agitated state we could see he was unable to work

In what contexts can discompose take the place of upset?

Although the words discompose and upset have much in common, discompose implies some degree of loss of self-control or self-confidence especially through emotional stress.

discomposed by the loss of his beloved wife

When can disquiet be used instead of upset?

The synonyms disquiet and upset are sometimes interchangeable, but disquiet suggests loss of sense of security or peace of mind.

the disquieting news of factories closing

When might disturb be a better fit than upset?

In some situations, the words disturb and upset are roughly equivalent. However, disturb implies interference with one's mental processes caused by worry, perplexity, or interruption.

the discrepancy in accounts disturbed me

When could fluster be used to replace upset?

The words fluster and upset are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, fluster suggests bewildered agitation.

his declaration of love completely flustered her

When would perturb be a good substitute for upset?

The meanings of perturb and upset largely overlap; however, perturb implies deep disturbance of mind and emotions.

perturbed by her husband's strange behavior

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of upset
Adjective
Her group worked as a conduit between upset residents and the Corps, and as a result, Corps teams partnered with local arborists, reviewed marked trees, and corrected those wrongly identified. Francine Kiefer, Christian Science Monitor, 10 Apr. 2025 Meanwhile, at least a few independent installers of Starlink dishes in Canada report online insults and even in-person confrontations from consumers upset at the US trade war with the country. Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 9 Apr. 2025
Verb
To be fair, a source from Wallen’s camp previously told Variety that the singer didn’t mean to upset anyone and actually had a good time on SNL. Jennifer Zhan, Vulture, 2 Apr. 2025 Economists and taxpayer advocacy groups have their doubts, and are warning tariffs could upset economic growth and will almost surely contribute to higher prices for American consumers. Kathryn Watson, CBS News, 2 Apr. 2025
Noun
There is never a more exciting time in college basketball than March Madness, so tune in to catch all the drama and potential upsets. Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Apr. 2025 The 8-year-old girl from an hour north of Minneapolis had just seen the Glory pull off one of the biggest upsets in franchise history — their very first win against the Spartans. Pj Green, Kansas City Star, 30 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for upset
Recent Examples of Synonyms for upset
Adjective
  • Others are worried about the fate of the Smithsonian more broadly.
    Deborah Barfield Berry, USA Today, 20 Apr. 2025
  • At Chang Jiang, Wu had a warning for customers who are worried about their favorite products going away or getting more expensive.
    Allison Cho, CNN Money, 19 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Victims of car collisions may have more to worry about as insurance companies warn drivers to be aware of a growing scam involving tow truck companies.
    Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 14 Apr. 2025
  • Critics worry that other anti-democratic actors will be taking cues from Bukele to curry favor with this particular president.
    David Catanese, Miami Herald, 14 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • The case had long been viewed by Palin and other conservatives as a possible vehicle to overturn the 1964 U.S. Supreme Court landmark New York Times v. Sullivan.
    Luc Cohen, USA Today, 23 Apr. 2025
  • Still to be determined is Vessel’s plan in Glastonbury; the town rejected it, and Vessel won a Superior Court lawsuit to overturn that decision.
    Don Stacom, Hartford Courant, 23 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • When someone has it, their immune system goes into overdrive, producing more antibodies (or immunoglobulins, hence the name) than necessary that disrupt typical organ function.
    David Oliver, USA Today, 23 Apr. 2025
  • Case in point: Heightened uncertainty about the outlook for the economy has disrupted plans for big-name IPOs like fintech firm Klarna and ticketing platform StubHub over the past month.
    Morgan Chittum, CNBC, 21 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Despite resistance from some industry groups warning of supply chain disruptions, the FDA's decision aligns the U.S. with international standards.
    Ross Rosenfeld, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 Apr. 2025
  • Trump risks his approval rating falling the longer markets appear destabilized, US economic growth forecasts appear threatened, and the US dollar's dominance in global trade risks disruption.
    ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 23 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • At times brutal and always volatile, the album functions as a sort of electro-shock therapy applied from the shoulders down, layering hard beats, ambient whorls, and nervous acid ticks to trigger a state of full-body rapture.
    Jazz Monroe, Pitchfork, 18 Apr. 2025
  • At the same time, sellers might get nervous if deal activity slows down.
    James Nelson, Forbes.com, 18 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • This involved manually disturbing the leg and then releasing it, capturing the resulting oscillations on high-speed video.
    ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 16 Apr. 2025
  • What Is No-Till Gardening? Simply put, no-till is an approach to gardening that avoids disturbing soil in order to preserve its structure.
    Meghan Overdeep, Southern Living, 14 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • At least 148 people were found dead in the Democratic Republic of Congo after a motorized wooden boat caught fire and capsized, media reports citing local officials said on Friday.
    FOXNews.com, FOXNews.com, 19 Apr. 2025
  • Sailors prevented the ship from capsizing, but the vessel ultimately sank to the bottom of the harbor.
    Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 16 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Upset.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/upset. Accessed 27 Apr. 2025.

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