upset
Looking for the meaning of upset? Explore definitions, parts of speech, and usage examples below.
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Disturbance or disruption.
“My late arrival caused the professor considerable upset.”
An unexpected victory of a competitor or candidate that was not favored to win.
(automobile insurance) An overturn.
“"collision and upset": impact with another object or an overturn for whatever reason.”
An upset stomach.
An upper set; a subset (X,≤) of a partially ordered set with the property that, if x is in U and x≤y, then y is in U.
The dangerous situation where the flight attitude or airspeed of an aircraft is outside the designed bounds of operation, possibly resulting in loss of control.
To make (a person) angry, distressed, or unhappy.
“I’m sure the bad news will upset him, but he needs to know.”
To disturb, disrupt or adversely alter (something).
“Introducing a foreign species can upset the ecological balance.”
To tip or overturn (something).
To defeat unexpectedly.
“Truman upset Dewey in the 1948 US presidential election.”
To be upset or knocked over.
“The carriage upset when the horse bolted.”
To set up; to put upright.
To thicken and shorten, as a heated piece of iron, by hammering on the end.
To shorten (a tire) in the process of resetting, originally by cutting it and hammering on the ends.
(of a person) Angry, distressed or unhappy.
“He was upset when she refused his friendship.”
(of a stomach or gastrointestinal tract, referred to as stomach) Feeling unwell, nauseated, or ready to vomit.
“His stomach was upset, so he didn't want to move.”
Understanding "upset"
The word **"upset"** is a **noun** in the English language. It is phonetically pronounced as **N/A**. Explore the detailed meaning, morphological structure, and usage examples for **"upset"** in our dictionary below.
The English language is incredibly vast, and diving into the definition of the word "upset" provides a perfect example of its linguistic depth. Categorized primarily as a noun, the term "upset" holds specific syntactical roles within a sentence, allowing speakers and writers to convey precise meaning. Understanding how this word functions is an excellent step towards mastering advanced English vocabulary and improving overall reading comprehension.
For those looking to perfect their spoken English, noting the phonetic pronunciation of "upset" is crucial. It is typically transcribed as a standard English phoneme pattern. Proper enunciation ensures that your intended message is received clearly, preventing miscommunication in both formal and casual settings. Linguistic scholars often track the phonological evolution of words like "upset" to understand broader historical shifts in dialects and accents across different English-speaking populations.
When deciding how to use "upset" in everyday communication, it helps to look at exactly how it operates as a noun. In professional writing, academic essays, and creative literature, choosing the perfect vocabulary word can drastically elevate the tone of the text. Because "upset" carries its own unique connotations and denotations, swapping it for a simpler synonym might dilute the impact of your sentence.
Our comprehensive dictionary tool is designed to provide immediate, reliable definitions for thousands of terms, including "upset". By consistently exploring the nuances of vocabulary—including phonetics (N/A), part of speech (noun), and usage examples—you can significantly expand your linguistic repertoire. Bookmark this page as a quick reference tool whenever you encounter "upset" in reading materials or wish to incorporate it into your active vocabulary.
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How do I use upset in a sentence?
Refer to the usage examples above to see how "upset" can be used in academic and casual conversations.