Dictionary

upside down en · ADJ

Pronunciation

• /ˌʌpsaɪˈdaʊn/ (informal)
• (US) audio
• /ˌʌpsaɪd ˈdaʊn/ careful speech

Etymology

From Middle English up sid doun, an alteration of earlier upsadowne, upsedowne, up-so-doun (“upside down”), equivalent to up + so + down, literally “up as down”.

Meanings

1. (not-comparable) Inverted; turned so that the top is at the bottom.
   • The pattern resembled an upside down letter W.
2. (not-comparable) In great disorder.
   • The wenches and the men have been on the streets all day, and the kitchen is upside down. You never saw the like. 1901, Amelia Edith Huddleston Barr, The lion's whelp: a story of Cromwell's time, page 248:
3. (not-comparable) Owing more money for something than it is worth; having negative equity.
   • He's upside down on his mortgage.
4. (humorous, not-comparable) Australian.

Forms

Deriveds

turn one's world upside down · Upsidedownland · turn the frown upside down · upside down fridge · turn upside down · turn one's life upside down · upside-down cake · upside-down tree · upside-down income statement · upside-down fire · fuck someone upside down · upside-down Jenny

Synonyms

underwater (having negative equity)

Translations (41)

it capovolto (inverted) · ga bun os cionn (inverted) · nl omgekeerd (inverted) · he הָפוּךְ (inverted) · ja 逆さ (inverted) · nl op zijn kop (inverted) · it invertito (inverted) · bcl bugsok (inverted) · bcl suwi (inverted) · hu fordított (inverted) · ota وارون (inverted) · fr culbuté (inverted) · pl do góry nogami (having negative equity) · cy wyneb i waered (inverted) · pl do góry nogami (in great disorder) · hu megfordított (inverted) · ms terbalik (inverted) · fr à l'envers (inverted) · fi ylösalainen (inverted) · el ανάποδος (inverted) · ca cap per avall (inverted) · sv uppochnedvänd (inverted) · fr renversé (inverted) · ca a l'inrevés (inverted) · bg обърнат (inverted) · iba tunsang (inverted) · ja 逆さま (inverted) · hu fejjel lefelé fordított (inverted) · vi lộn ngược (inverted) · tr altüst (inverted) · pl do góry nogami (inverted) · es al revés (inverted) · pt de cabeça para baixo (inverted) · bcl bulagsok (inverted) · it inverso (inverted) · da omvendt (inverted) · pt de ponta-cabeça (inverted) · sk obrátený (inverted) · it a testa in giù (inverted) · sv uppochnervänd (inverted) · it rovesciato (inverted)

upside down en · ADV

Pronunciation

• /ˌʌpsaɪˈdaʊn/ (informal)
• (US) audio
• /ˌʌpsaɪd ˈdaʊn/ careful speech

Etymology

From Middle English up sid doun, an alteration of earlier upsadowne, upsedowne, up-so-doun (“upside down”), equivalent to up + so + down, literally “up as down”.

Meanings

1. (not-comparable) Inverted, so that the top is now at the bottom.
   • The Union flag was flying upside down, a sign of danger.
   • His hands were busy with his garments all this time: turning them inside out, putting them on upside down, tearing them, mislaying them, making them parties to every kind of extravagance. 1843 December 19, Charles Dickens, “Stave Five. The End of It.”, in A Christmas Carol. […], London: Chapman & Hall, […], →OCLC, page 153:
   • For, suddenly, I saw you there / And through foggy London town / The sun was shining upside down! 1937, “A Foggy Day (In London Town)”, Ira Gershwin (lyrics), George Gershwin (music):
2. (not-comparable) In great disorder.
   • The thief had turned the room upside down.
   • Peaſe and beanes are as danke here as a dog and that is the next way to giue poore iades the bots: this houſe is turned vpſide downe ſince Robin Oſtler died. c. 1597 (date written), [William Shakespeare], The History of Henrie the Fourth; […], quarto edition, London: […] P[eter] S[hort] for Andrew Wise, […], published 1598, →OCLC, [Act II, scene i], signature C2, recto:

Forms

Antonyms

rightways · right-side up · right side up

Hypernyms

contrarily

Hyponyms

ass over teakettle · arse over tit · head over heels · arse over tip · base over apex

Synonyms

up so down · upside down · upsidown · reverse · bottom-upwards (inverted) · topsy-turvy (inverted) · downside up · upsy-down

Translations (114)

cmn 顛倒 /颠倒 (inverted) · pt de pernas para o ar (inverted) · el ανάποδα (inverted) · hu szanaszét (in great disorder) · nb opp ned (inverted) · it a soqquadro (in great disorder) · ro cu fundul în sus (inverted) · ta தலைகீழாக (inverted) · wa cou dzeu cou dzo (in great disorder) · ru вверх дно́м (inverted) · it al rovescio (inverted) · ta தலைகீழாக (in great disorder) · fi ylösalaisin (inverted) · sv uppochned (inverted) · el άνω κάτω (in great disorder) · gl boca abaixo (inverted) · de umgekehrt (inverted) · kmr sernişîv (inverted) · as ওলোটা (inverted) · ru кувырко́м (in great disorder) · sco awhummle (in great disorder) · ht tèt anba (inverted) · uk вверх дно́м (inverted) · cs vzhůru nohama (inverted) · sv upp och ned (in great disorder) · bg наопаки (inverted) · kmr nixûm (inverted) · es de cabeza (inverted) · gl patas arriba (in great disorder) · he הָפוּךְ (inverted) · gd bun-os-cionn (inverted) · es boca abajo (inverted) · it sottosopra (in great disorder) · fi nurinperin (inverted) · de verkehrt rum (inverted) · ja 逆さまに (inverted) · ga trí chéile (in great disorder) · sip ག་སྦུབ (inverted) · tl tiwarik (inverted) · pa ਪੁੱਠਾ (inverted) · ka თავდაყირა (inverted) · et kummuli (inverted) · sk naopak (inverted) · hy թարս (inverted) · es de cabeza (in great disorder) · pl do góry nogami (in great disorder) · nn opp ned (inverted) · it sottosopra (inverted) · fi sotkussa (in great disorder) · mi kōaro (inverted) · pt ao contrário (inverted) · fr à l'envers (inverted) · es patas arriba (in great disorder) · is á hvolfi (inverted) · es de revés (inverted) · pt de pernas para o ar (in great disorder) · he הָפוּךְ (in great disorder) · yue 反 (inverted) · hi उल्टा (inverted) · ro cu susul în jos (inverted) · hu fejjel lefelé (inverted) · hi विलोमित (inverted) · ru кверх нога́ми (inverted) · ga bunoscionn (inverted) · cy ben ucha'n isa' (inverted) · ca a l'inrevés (inverted) · tl tumbalik (inverted) · az tərsinə (inverted) · fi ylösalaisin (in great disorder) · eo renversite (inverted) · kmr tarûmar (in great disorder) · vi đổ lộn (in great disorder) · sv upp och ner (inverted) · gl cabeza abaixo (inverted) · iba tunsang (inverted) · vi lộn ngược (inverted) · kmr serûbin (in great disorder) · ro pe dos (in great disorder) · cmn 倒 (inverted) · pl do góry nogami (inverted) · es al revés (inverted) · pt de cabeça para baixo (inverted) · hy շուռ տված (inverted) · sk hore nohami (in great disorder) · de auf dem Kopf (inverted) · da omvendt (inverted) · nl ondersteboven (inverted) · pt de ponta-cabeça (inverted) · sv upp och ned (inverted) · lt aukštyn kojomis (inverted) · hy գլխիվայր (inverted) · de verkehrt herum (inverted) · uk догори́ дри́ґом (inverted) · kmr serberjêr (inverted) · sk dole hlavou (inverted) · la inversus (inverted) · it a rovescio (inverted) · es bocabajo (inverted) · cmn 反 (inverted) · it a testa in giù (inverted) · ja 逆さに (inverted) · sv uppochner (inverted) · fr sens dessus dessous (inverted) · da på hovedet (inverted) · ko 거꾸로 (inverted) · fr sens dessus dessous (in great disorder) · es patas arriba (inverted) · az alt-üst (inverted) · sk hore nohami (inverted) · uk вверх нога́ми (inverted) · it al contrario (inverted) · wa cou å hôt (inverted) · fi sekaisin (in great disorder) · ru вверх нога́ми (inverted)

upside down en · PROPN

Pronunciation

• /ˌʌpsaɪˈdaʊn/ (informal)
• (US) audio
• /ˌʌpsaɪd ˈdaʊn/ careful speech

Etymology

From Middle English up sid doun, an alteration of earlier upsadowne, upsedowne, up-so-doun (“upside down”), equivalent to up + so + down, literally “up as down”.

Meanings

1. (alt-of) Alternative letter-case form of Upside Down.
   alt of Upside Down
   • it asks courts to step into the reality educators face: the reality of teaching in the upside down. 2023 January 14, Tess Bissell, “Teaching in the Upside Down: What Anti–Critical Race Theory Laws Tell Us About the First Amendment”, in Stanford Law Review, volume 75, archived from the original on 21 Sep 2023, page 212:
   • It is in the upside down where we can find many opportunities to grow and learn. 2022 September 14, Scott R. Sheehan, “The President’s Prose: Inside, Outside, Upside Down”, in Music Educators Journal, volume 109, number 1, →DOI, →ISSN, pages 7–10:

Forms