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

In Ohio, winds were so strong that an Ohio Department of Transportation traffic camera captured a car being lifted and tossed upside down on Interstate 71 in Columbus during a torrential rainstorm on Tuesday morning. — Michelle Simmons, ABC News, 12 Aug. 2026

Hart’s sensitive direction deftly balances the trials of a mom facing the end of her life much too soon with a major moment in the life of a teenage daughter just hitting her stride at the same moment in a family turned upside down. — Pete Hammond, Deadline, 12 Aug. 2026

Tuesday night, that view was turned upside down after a 13-year-old allegedly shot his father. — Veronica Ortega, CBS News, 12 Aug. 2026

Because that world was turned upside down before it could be set right. — Kansas City Star, 11 Aug. 2026

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