inverted
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
turned upside down or placed in the opposite order.
having the position, order, or direction reversed or turned upside down.
Simple“The logo on the screen appeared inverted, so the text was upside down.”
In context“The pilot maintained control even while the aircraft was flying in an inverted position during the stunt.”
- 02 C1 Advanced
a way of playing a musical chord where the lowest note is moved higher.
describing a chord where the notes are rearranged so that the root is no longer the lowest pitch.
Simple“The pianist played an inverted C major chord to make the transition smoother.”
In context“By using inverted triads, the composer created a more fluid melodic line in the lower register of the string quartet.”
SynonymstransposedAntonymsroot position - 03 C2 Proficiency
an old-fashioned word once used to describe being gay.
a dated term used in early psychology to refer to homosexuality, based on the theory of 'sexual inversion'.
Simple“In the old novel, the character was described as inverted, which was a common term at the time.”
In context“Early twentieth-century sexologists often used the term inverted to pathologize same-sex attraction before modern terminology was established.”
Teacher's tipThis sense is archaic and can be offensive; it is only encountered in historical or academic texts about the history of psychology.
Synonyms
“His first so-called readymade was “Bicycle Wheel” (1913), which joined an inverted bicycle wheel to a wooden stool.”