# upset

/ˈəpˌsɛt/ (US)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/upset
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. to make someone sad

verb · CEFR B1

to make someone feel unhappy, worried, or angry.

For teachers: to disturb the emotional state of a person, causing distress or agitation. Transitive — requires a person or group as the object.

- I am sorry if my comments about the project upset you.
- The news of the sudden layoffs upset the entire department, leading to a significant drop in morale and productivity.

### 2. to disrupt a plan

verb · CEFR B2

to change a plan or situation so that it no longer works well.

For teachers: to disturb or adversely alter the typical order, state, or functioning of something.

- The sudden rainstorm upset our plans for a picnic in the park.
- The unexpected shift in interest rates threatened to upset the delicate balance of the national economy.

### 3. to knock over

verb · CEFR B2

to accidentally push something over so that it falls.

For teachers: to tip over or overturn an object, typically by accident.

- The cat jumped on the table and upset a glass of water.
- The gust of wind was strong enough to upset the small sailing boat, forcing the crew to swim to shore.

### 4. feeling sad or angry

adjective · CEFR B1

feeling unhappy, worried, or angry because of something bad that happened.

For teachers: distressed or agitated in mind or feelings. Often used predicatively after a linking verb.

- She was very upset when she heard that she didn't get the job.
- The residents were visibly upset by the council's decision to demolish the historic community centre.

### 5. feeling sick

adjective · CEFR B1

feeling like you might vomit or having a stomach ache.

For teachers: relating to a physical state of nausea or gastrointestinal distress.

- I have an upset stomach after eating that spicy seafood last night.
- The patient reported feeling generally upset and nauseated following the administration of the new medication.

### 6. an unexpected win

noun · CEFR B2

a situation where a person or team wins when they were expected to lose.

For teachers: an unexpected victory by an underdog in a sporting or political contest.

- The local team's victory over the champions was the biggest upset of the season.
- Political analysts were stunned by the electoral upset, as the newcomer defeated the incumbent by a significant margin.

### 7. aircraft loss of control

noun · CEFR C2 · Technical

a dangerous situation where a plane is not flying correctly and the pilot might lose control.

For teachers: an aircraft state characterized by unintended departures from the normal flight envelope, requiring immediate recovery actions.

- The pilot was trained to recover the plane from a sudden upset during a storm.
- The flight data recorder indicated that the aircraft entered an upset condition shortly after the autopilot disengaged in heavy turbulence.

### 8. mathematical set

noun · CEFR C2 · Technical

a special group of numbers or items in math where if one item is included, all 'larger' items are too.

For teachers: a subset of a partially ordered set such that if an element is in the subset, all elements greater than it are also included.

- In this diagram, the shaded area represents an upset in the ordered group.
- The researcher demonstrated that the intersection of any two upsets in a partially ordered set is itself an upset.

## Examples

- The small team caused a huge upset by winning the final.
- Political analysts were shocked by the election upset when the newcomer defeated the long-standing incumbent.
- While the favourite appeared dominant throughout the season, a series of tactical errors led to a major upset in the championship round, altering the league's power dynamic.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.