upset
- 01 B1 Intermediate
v.to make someone feel unhappy, worried, or angry.
v.to disturb the emotional state of a person, causing distress or agitation. Transitive — requires a person or group as the object.
Simple“I am sorry if my comments about the project upset you.”
In context“The news of the sudden layoffs upset the entire department, leading to a significant drop in morale and productivity.”
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to change a plan or situation so that it no longer works well.
v.to disturb or adversely alter the typical order, state, or functioning of something.
Simple“The sudden rainstorm upset our plans for a picnic in the park.”
In context“The unexpected shift in interest rates threatened to upset the delicate balance of the national economy.”
- 03 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to accidentally push something over so that it falls.
v.to tip over or overturn an object, typically by accident.
Simple“The cat jumped on the table and upset a glass of water.”
In context“The gust of wind was strong enough to upset the small sailing boat, forcing the crew to swim to shore.”
- 04 B1 Intermediate
adj.feeling unhappy, worried, or angry because of something bad that happened.
adj.distressed or agitated in mind or feelings. Often used predicatively after a linking verb.
Simple“She was very upset when she heard that she didn't get the job.”
In context“The residents were visibly upset by the council's decision to demolish the historic community centre.”
Synonyms - 05 B1 Intermediate
adj.feeling like you might vomit or having a stomach ache.
adj.relating to a physical state of nausea or gastrointestinal distress.
Simple“I have an upset stomach after eating that spicy seafood last night.”
In context“The patient reported feeling generally upset and nauseated following the administration of the new medication.”
- 06 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.a situation where a person or team wins when they were expected to lose.
n.an unexpected victory by an underdog in a sporting or political contest.
Simple“The local team's victory over the champions was the biggest upset of the season.”
In context“Political analysts were stunned by the electoral upset, as the newcomer defeated the incumbent by a significant margin.”
- 07 C2 Proficiency
n.a dangerous situation where a plane is not flying correctly and the pilot might lose control.
n.an aircraft state characterized by unintended departures from the normal flight envelope, requiring immediate recovery actions.
Simple“The pilot was trained to recover the plane from a sudden upset during a storm.”
In context“The flight data recorder indicated that the aircraft entered an upset condition shortly after the autopilot disengaged in heavy turbulence.”
- 08 C2 Proficiency
n.a special group of numbers or items in math where if one item is included, all 'larger' items are too.
n.a subset of a partially ordered set such that if an element is in the subset, all elements greater than it are also included.
Simple“In this diagram, the shaded area represents an upset in the ordered group.”
In context“The researcher demonstrated that the intersection of any two upsets in a partially ordered set is itself an upset.”
SynonymsAntonymsdownset
From Middle English upset (“the act of setting up; establishment”), from Middle English upsetten, corresponding to up- + set. Cognate with Middle Low German upset (“setup; arrangement”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.