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

But her life turned upside down when as a 12-year-old she was accepted into the country's first elite boarding school for girls, on Goree Island off Dakar, the capital. — ABC News, 18 Aug. 2026

Then wireless arrived, and within a decade telecom turned upside down. — Anna Demeo, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026

This is the production version of the car that broke the Hillclimb record at the Goodwood Festival of Speed and, with its innovative fan system, generates enough downforce to operate upside down. — Viju Mathew, Robb Report, 15 Aug. 2026

The car flipped during the crash, leaving most of it upside down and underwater, according to a photo shared from the scene. — Grace Toohey, Los Angeles Times, 14 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