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 her mom got sick, her world turned upside down. —Madeline Mitchell, USA Today, 14 June 2025

Just remember that these were from before play kicked off, and a single result can turn everything upside down. —Joe Kozlowski, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 June 2025

Today, fileless malware turns that trust upside down, living off the land—our own tools—while slipping past those old defenses. —Camellia Chan, Forbes.com, 13 June 2025

But on May 4, 2024, their world was turned upside down. —Jordan Greene, People.com, 13 June 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