up·set
(ˌ)əp-ˈset 
upset; upsetting
1
: to thicken and shorten (something, such as a heated bar of iron) by hammering on the end : swage
2
: to force out of the usual upright, level, or proper position : overturn
3
a
: to trouble mentally or emotionally : disturb the poise of
the news upset me
b
: to throw into disorder
c
d
: to defeat unexpectedly
was upset in the primary
4
: to cause a physical disorder in
specifically
: to make somewhat ill
spicy food upsets my stomach
: to become overturned
upsetter
noun
1
: an act of overturning : overturn
2
a(1)
: an act of throwing into disorder : disarrangement
(2)
: a state of disorder : confusion
b
: an unexpected defeat
3
a
: a minor physical disorder
a stomach upset
b
: an emotional disturbance
went through a big upset after his father's death
4
a
: a part of a rod (such as the head on a bolt) that is upset
b
: the expansion of a bullet on striking
up·set
(ˌ)əp-ˈset
1
: emotionally disturbed or agitated
was too upset to speak to him
2
: affected with minor physical disturbance or disorder
an upset stomach
Synonyms
Examples of upset in a Sentence
Verb
That remark you made really upset me.
Don't upset yourself over it.
It upsets him that he can do nothing to help.
A lot of people were upset by the court's decision.
It upsets me to think I might never see him again.
Spicy food upsets my stomach.
Noun
In a major upset, he took the gold medal.
Her victory in the election was a big upset.
Spicy foods can cause stomach upset.
An emotional upset can affect your physical health.
a period of emotional upset
Adjective
I was feeling upset by the whole experience.
There's no point in getting all upset about it.
I try not to let her make me upset.
She was too upset to speak to him.
I'm upset that you didn't call.
I was so upset with him, I didn't call him for two weeks.
Recent Examples on the Web
Ashley Ziegler, Parents, 13 Apr. 2024
Attendees, many of whom were children, were enraged and upset with the organizers, a U.K. event company called House of Illuminati, demanding a refund.
—USA TODAY, 11 Apr. 2024
The muscles will always win, which can upset your gut.
—Bryant Stamford, The Courier-Journal, 11 Apr. 2024
Shoveling food in your face while you’re distracted is a surefire way to increase stress and upset your stomach even more, Dr. Gentile says.
—Jenna Ryu, SELF, 10 Apr. 2024
His presence, coupled with the covering of the hostage photos, upset Hamakom members who lost family members or friends on Oct. 7 and had deep connections with families of the hostages.
—Jenny Jarvie, Los Angeles Times, 4 Apr. 2024
North Carolina State, which upset Duke on Sunday to reach the Final Four, starts five.
—Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 31 Mar. 2024
The two teams are atop the Atlantic Division, and there is still some bad blood between them after the Panthers upset the Bruins in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs last season.
—Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 27 Mar. 2024
First off, the performance took place just six days before the 2016 presidential election, in which Donald Trump upset Hillary Clinton.
—Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 27 Mar. 2024
NBC News, 7 Apr. 2024
After an unlikely run to the national tournament and an upset of the No. 1 seed on Monday, there was no need for it.
—Ryan Finley, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Mar. 2024
What historic wins, joyful musical numbers, and shocking upsets will this year’s Tonys bring?
—Vogue, 27 Mar. 2024
The second round of the men’s NCAA basketball tournament features three upsets decided in the late seconds.
—Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 14 Mar. 2024
Thursday's Sweet 16 scores and best moments Thursday night was full of upsets and victories in the men's Sweet 16 of the NCAA March Madness tournament.
—USA TODAY, 29 Mar. 2024
Following the tradition of teenage American women pulling off big upsets, 16-year-old Kimmie Meissner uses the performance of her life to soar to the World Figure Skating Championships title.
2008 — Tennessee gives coach Pat Summitt her 100th NCAA tournament win, a 78-52 rout of host Purdue.
—Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 25 Mar. 2024
The opening weekend of the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament was nothing short of thrilling, and March Madness lived up to its name, delivering several upsets and controversial endings.
—CBS News, 25 Mar. 2024
Cellar Dweller will look to keep the upsets going against surprising newcomer, No. 2 Crazy Norse (Barleycorn’s) in the Sweet 16.
—The Enquirer, 21 Mar. 2024
Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 15 Apr. 2024
Maybe the Lightning or Penguins would pull off an upset in the first round, but way more often than not those teams in the 7-8 range do not.
—Corey Masisak, The Denver Post, 13 Apr. 2024
The easiest transition was understanding how to balance finances, understanding how taxes work, understanding how to deal with people, even people who are upset and confused.
—Allison Dikanovic, Kansas City Star, 12 Apr. 2024
For example, taking high doses of folate can mask a vitamin B12 deficiency, while taking high doses of magnesium can lead to GI upset, nausea, irregular heartbeat, and cardiac arrest.
—Erika Prouty, Verywell Health, 11 Apr. 2024
Stallone was very upset with the look of the background actors.
—James Hibberd, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Apr. 2024
Hopkins was seemingly upset that N.Y.C. was not one of the few U.S. cities located in the path of totality, which spanned from Texas to Maine.
—Abigail Adams, Peoplemag, 9 Apr. 2024
Her parents were already upset she had been kicked out of school.
—Amber Ferguson, Washington Post, 6 Apr. 2024
What Experts Think All three mental health professionals agree: The OP had every right to be upset, especially since the ring holds significance, but things could have been handled better.
—Beth Ann Mayer, Parents, 4 Apr. 2024
Verb
But Take Note Lights and sounds may upset babies with sensory sensitivities.
—Ashley Ziegler, Parents, 13 Apr. 2024
Attendees, many of whom were children, were enraged and upset with the organizers, a U.K. event company called House of Illuminati, demanding a refund.
—USA TODAY, 11 Apr. 2024
The muscles will always win, which can upset your gut.
—Bryant Stamford, The Courier-Journal, 11 Apr. 2024
Shoveling food in your face while you’re distracted is a surefire way to increase stress and upset your stomach even more, Dr. Gentile says.
—Jenna Ryu, SELF, 10 Apr. 2024
His presence, coupled with the covering of the hostage photos, upset Hamakom members who lost family members or friends on Oct. 7 and had deep connections with families of the hostages.
—Jenny Jarvie, Los Angeles Times, 4 Apr. 2024
North Carolina State, which upset Duke on Sunday to reach the Final Four, starts five.
—Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 31 Mar. 2024
The two teams are atop the Atlantic Division, and there is still some bad blood between them after the Panthers upset the Bruins in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs last season.
—Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 27 Mar. 2024
First off, the performance took place just six days before the 2016 presidential election, in which Donald Trump upset Hillary Clinton.
—Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 27 Mar. 2024
Noun
He’s had a couple breakout games in the NCAA Tournament, most notably 24 in an upset of No. 1 North Carolina, and will be needed down the stretch for Alabama to advance on Saturday night.
—NBC News, 7 Apr. 2024
After an unlikely run to the national tournament and an upset of the No. 1 seed on Monday, there was no need for it.
—Ryan Finley, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Mar. 2024
What historic wins, joyful musical numbers, and shocking upsets will this year’s Tonys bring?
—Vogue, 27 Mar. 2024
The second round of the men’s NCAA basketball tournament features three upsets decided in the late seconds.
—Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 14 Mar. 2024
Thursday's Sweet 16 scores and best moments Thursday night was full of upsets and victories in the men's Sweet 16 of the NCAA March Madness tournament.
—USA TODAY, 29 Mar. 2024
Following the tradition of teenage American women pulling off big upsets, 16-year-old Kimmie Meissner uses the performance of her life to soar to the World Figure Skating Championships title.
2008 — Tennessee gives coach Pat Summitt her 100th NCAA tournament win, a 78-52 rout of host Purdue.
—Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 25 Mar. 2024
The opening weekend of the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament was nothing short of thrilling, and March Madness lived up to its name, delivering several upsets and controversial endings.
—CBS News, 25 Mar. 2024
Cellar Dweller will look to keep the upsets going against surprising newcomer, No. 2 Crazy Norse (Barleycorn’s) in the Sweet 16.
—The Enquirer, 21 Mar. 2024
Adjective
From there, Bluey’s anxiety about moving is intertwined with that of Frisky, who is upset to discover that Rad also wants to leave Queensland for other professional opportunities.
—Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 15 Apr. 2024
Maybe the Lightning or Penguins would pull off an upset in the first round, but way more often than not those teams in the 7-8 range do not.
—Corey Masisak, The Denver Post, 13 Apr. 2024
The easiest transition was understanding how to balance finances, understanding how taxes work, understanding how to deal with people, even people who are upset and confused.
—Allison Dikanovic, Kansas City Star, 12 Apr. 2024
For example, taking high doses of folate can mask a vitamin B12 deficiency, while taking high doses of magnesium can lead to GI upset, nausea, irregular heartbeat, and cardiac arrest.
—Erika Prouty, Verywell Health, 11 Apr. 2024
Stallone was very upset with the look of the background actors.
—James Hibberd, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Apr. 2024
Hopkins was seemingly upset that N.Y.C. was not one of the few U.S. cities located in the path of totality, which spanned from Texas to Maine.
—Abigail Adams, Peoplemag, 9 Apr. 2024
Her parents were already upset she had been kicked out of school.
—Amber Ferguson, Washington Post, 6 Apr. 2024
What Experts Think All three mental health professionals agree: The OP had every right to be upset, especially since the ring holds significance, but things could have been handled better.
—Beth Ann Mayer, Parents, 4 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'upset.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
Verb
1677, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1
Noun
1804, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Adjective
1805, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Phrases Containing upset
Dictionary Entries Near upset
Cite this Entry
“Upset.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/upset. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.
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Kids Definition
upset
1 of 3 verb
up·set
(ˌ)əp-ˈset
upset; upsetting
1
: to force or be forced out of the usual position : overturn
2
a
: to worry, anger, or cause unhappiness to
the news upset me
b
: to make somewhat ill
spicy food upsets my stomach
3
a
: to throw into disorder
b
: to defeat unexpectedly
upset
2 of 3 noun
up·set
ˈəp-ˌset
1
: an act or result of upsetting : a state of being upset
2
a
: a minor illness
a stomach upset
b
: a period of worry or unhappiness
upset
3 of 3 adjective
up·set
(ˌ)əp-ˈset
: emotionally disturbed or shaken up
was too upset to talk
Medical Definition
upset
1 of 3 transitive verb
up·set
(ˌ)əp-ˈset
upset; upsetting
1
: to trouble mentally or emotionally
the news upset me
2
: to cause a physical disorder in
specifically
: to make somewhat ill
greasy food upsets my stomach
upset
2 of 3 noun
up·set
ˈəp-ˌset
1
: a minor physical disorder
a stomach upset
2
: an emotional disturbance
upset
3 of 3 adjective
up·set
(ˌ)əp-ˈset
1
: affected with a minor physical disturbance
an upset stomach
2
: emotionally disturbed or agitated
was too upset to speak
More from Merriam-Webster on upset
Nglish: Translation of upset for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of upset for Arabic Speakers
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