Upset
/ʌpˈsɛt/
Definitions
3 meaningsTo disturb or distress someone emotionally.
/ʌpˈsɛt/
To make someone unhappy, worried, or annoyed.
The bad news upset her greatly.
💡 Simply: Imagine you're building a tower of blocks, and someone accidentally knocks it over. When someone does something to hurt your feelings or make you sad, they *upset* you. Like, if a friend takes your toy.
👶 For kids: To make someone feel sad or angry.
More Examples
Don't upset the dog by teasing it.
His outburst upset the entire meeting.
How It's Used
"His rude comment really upset her."
"The therapist helped the patient process the events that were upsetting him."
Unhappy, worried, or angry.
/ʌpˈsɛt/
Feeling unhappy, worried, or annoyed.
She was very upset when she found out her pet was missing.
💡 Simply: If something makes you feel a little grumpy or sad, you're *upset*. Like when it rains on your birthday.
👶 For kids: Feeling sad or angry.
More Examples
The upset child started to cry.
He was visibly upset after the accident.
How It's Used
"She was very upset after the argument."
"He became upset when he lost his favorite toy."
An unexpected result or event, especially in sports or politics.
/ˈʌpˌsɛt/
A situation where something is disrupted or unexpected.
The underdog's victory was considered a major upset.
💡 Simply: When something happens that nobody expected, like when a team that was supposed to lose actually wins, that's an *upset*. Imagine a game with two equal-ability teams, but a team that was expected to lose, in fact, does win.
👶 For kids: Something surprising that nobody saw coming.
More Examples
The stock market experienced an upset due to unexpected news.
An upset in the local elections changed the political landscape.
How It's Used
"It was a major upset when the underdog team won the championship."
"The election resulted in a political upset."
Synonyms & Antonyms
Idioms & expressions
upset stomach
A feeling of discomfort or illness in the stomach.
"I have an upset stomach, I think I ate something bad."
upset the apple cart
To disrupt or ruin a plan or situation.
"The scandal upset the apple cart of the company's planned merger."
From the prefix "up-" (referring to reversal or disruption) + "set" (meaning 'placed'). Originally referring to the overturning or disruption of something physically, the word evolved to represent emotional distress.
The word's use dates back to the late 16th century, originally referring to the physical overturning of objects before being used more figuratively to describe emotional disturbance. In the 17th century, it became common to describe someone's feelings of being disturbed or distressed.
Memory tip
Think of setting a glass on a table - if you bump the table and upset the glass (making the contents spill), you've *upset* something, and spilled your emotions, maybe.
Word Origin
"Combination of the prefix 'up-' which, has multiple meanings, but often indicates movement or transformation (like uproot) plus the word 'set' with it's original meaning being the act of putting in place or arranging, but in this usage, means to position a state."