verb

upset

to upset, to distress, to knock over, to disturb

Don't upset your little sister.

Don't upset your little sister.

She was upset by his rude comment.

She was upset by his rude comment.

He accidentally upset his coffee.

He accidentally knocked over his coffee.

The small team upset the champions.

The small team upset the champions.

((sb./sth.)) to upset (sb./sth.) to make someone unhappy or to knock something over His words upset her.

((sb.)) to be upset ((about/with/by sth.)) to feel unhappy or worried about something She is upset about the delay.

Synonyms: disturb, bother, knock over; Antonyms: calm, soothe, please

From Middle English 'upsetten', meaning 'to set up', which later developed the sense of 'to overturn' or 'disturb'.

Imagine something is 'set' nicely, but you push it 'up' from below, causing it to topple over and create a mess or a bad feeling.

This page is designed for learning support. Please use it as a learning reference, not as a formal reference.