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

When a world gets turned upside down, the people inside follow suit. — Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 28 Sep. 2026

The foreign minister of Iceland, Thorgerdur Katrín Gunnarsdóttir, used part of her time on the world stage Saturday to turn Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's words on Friday upside down. — ABC News, 26 Sep. 2026

The first step is to blow-dry your hair upside down to add body. — María Diez, Glamour, 26 Sep. 2026

Pineapple cake isn’t the only thing that should be turned upside down. — Jennifer Prince, Southern Living, 25 Sep. 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