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

Minutes later, the brown water had completely covered the park, flipping RVs upside down, smashing them against trees and stacking them in a corner of the park. —Rick Jervis, USA Today, 8 July 2025

Everything in the sky felt upside down and opposite, compared with what I was used to. —Abigail Bishop, The Conversation, 7 July 2025

Even though upside down, impossible not to see it while solving. —Ticked Off, The Orlando Sentinel, 7 July 2025

In the announcement, there are 13 balloons, 13 pennants on the banner and 13 presents (12 on the ground and one upside down). —Bryan West, The Tennessean, 2 July 2025

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