UPSET
What does "UPSET" mean?
To make someone unhappy or distressed; to knock over or disrupt; or an unexpected result.
Meanings
- To cause someone to feel troubled, unhappy, or distressed. The bad news upset her for the rest of the day.
- To knock or tip something over. The cat upset the vase as it leapt off the table.
- To disturb the normal working or order of something. The strike upset the airline's entire schedule.
- An unexpected result in which a favorite is defeated. The unranked team pulled off a stunning upset in the final.
- Distressed, unhappy, or (of a stomach) feeling sick. He went home early with an upset stomach.
Did you know?
- A folk story claims the sporting term 'upset' was born when a horse literally named Upset beat the unbeaten Man o' War in 1919 — but Merriam-Webster notes the word was already used for surprise defeats years earlier, making it a tidy coincidence rather than the true origin.
Word origin
From Middle English 'upsetten' ('to set up'), later shifting to mean 'overturn'; formed from 'up' plus 'set'. The sense 'distressed' arose in the 19th century.
Remember it
UP-SET: something set UP gets knocked over, and your calm gets set off.
A little poem
The teacup tips first-
then the held composure spills
warm across the cloth.
haiku
Wordplay
- The losing favorite refused to talk about the match. It was too upset about the upset.
What it teaches
An upset, in a game or in a gut, is just the world refusing to follow the script you wrote.
Quick facts
What does UPSET mean?
To make someone unhappy or distressed; to knock over or disrupt; or an unexpected result.
Is UPSET a valid word?
Yes — UPSET is one of the answer words in Wordul, the daily word game.
How many letters is UPSET?
UPSET has 5 letters and 2 syllables.
Where does UPSET come from?
From Middle English 'upsetten' ('to set up'), later shifting to mean 'overturn'; formed from 'up' plus 'set'. The sense 'distressed' arose in the 19th century.
What can UPSET teach us?
An upset, in a game or in a gut, is just the world refusing to follow the script you wrote.
How players do
Be the first to solve it.