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

The book switches between fonts, is interrupted with text boxes holding seemingly random information, is loaded down with footnotes, and includes paragraphs and columns of text that are upside down, reversed, or running vertically across the page. —Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 12 June 2026

Hilton and Steyer were upside down — 31% had a favorable opinion of Hilton compared to 38% unfavorable, and 39% had a favorable view of Steyer while 43% saw him unfavorably. —Los Angeles Times, 11 June 2026

To dry lavender, tie small bundles and hang them upside down in a cool, dark, and well-ventilated space. —Martha Stewart, 11 June 2026

When a new lawyer, played by Brett Goldstein, begins working for her, things turn upside down. —Karla Rodriguez, Footwear News, 11 June 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