upsetup‧set2 /ʌpˈset/ ●●● S2 verb (past tense and past participle upset, present participle upsetting) [transitive] 
Don’t do anything that would upset him.it upsets somebody that/when/to do It upsets me to see you cry.2change something to change a plan or situation in a way that causes problems: The chemicals upset the balance of the environment.3make something fall to push something over without intending to: He upset a bowl of soup.4defeat to defeat an opponent who is considered to be much better than you: Jones upset the 40th-ranked American, Cunningham.5upset the apple cart informal to completely spoil someone’s plans6upset your stomach to affect your stomach and make you feel sick: The soup was revolting and upset my stomach.—upsetting adjective
WORD ORIGINupset2
Origin:
1700-1800 Probably from upset ‘to set up, raise’ (15-17 centuries)VERB TABLE
upset
| Simple Form | ||
| Present | I, you, we, they | upset |
| he, she, it | upsets | |
| Past | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | upset |
| Present perfect | I, you, we, they | have upset |
| he, she, it | has upset | |
| Past perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | had upset |
| Future | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will upset |
| Future perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will have upset |
| Continuous Form | ||
| Present | I | am upsetting |
| he, she, it | is upsetting | |
| you, we, they | are upsetting | |
| Past | I, he, she, it | was upsetting |
| you, we, they | were upsetting | |
| Present perfect | I, you, we, they | have been upsetting |
| he, she, it | has been upsetting | |
| Past perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | had been upsetting |
| Future | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will be upsetting |
| Future perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will have been upsetting |
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- "Why's he crying?" "I don't know - something must have upset him."
- France upset Brazil in the World Cup final.
- Her father died when she was ten, and it still upsets her to think about it.
- I'm sorry - I didn't mean to upset you.
- I'm sorry if I upset you - I didn't mean to.
- It still upsets me to think about my parents' divorce.
- One of the kids upset a bottle of water on the table.
- Recent bank failures threaten to upset the entire world economy.
- Rowan said this latest outbreak of violence could upset the peace talks.
- She was careful not to upset the bottle of nail polish on the bed.
- The closing of the plant threatens to upset the local economy.
- The idea of having to change school seemed to upset him more than we thought it would.
- Try not to upset your father. He's had a hard day.
- What upsets me most is the way she lied to me.
- Young children don't like anything which upsets their daily routine.
- Football fans and coaches were outraged that their schedules were being upset.
- It used to upset me - really, you have no idea.
- Positions might have been changed and the precarious political balance upset by any intensification of the spiritual pollution campaign.
Longman Language Activatorfeeling upset
unhappy because something very unpleasant or disappointing has happened, so that you feel shocked or you want to cry: · Miss Hurley is too upset to speak to anyone at the moment.· The children were very upset when we told them that we wouldn't be going to Disneyland.upset about: · She's still upset about her uncle's death.upset (that): · The organizers were upset that so few people visited the exhibition.
upset and shocked because someone has been unkind to you, especially someone that you trusted and thought was a friend: · Bill felt very hurt when he realized she had lied to him.hurt (that): · Gretta was really hurt that none of her friends came to visit her in the hospital.deeply hurt (=extremely hurt): · Jackson was said to be 'deeply hurt' by the newspaper reports about him.
extremely upset and shocked about something very unpleasant that has happened, so that you cry or become confused: · Herman becomes distressed when anyone asks him about the accident.· The airport was full of distressed relatives waiting for news of the crash.distressed by/about/at: · Everyone in the office was distressed by Maggie's unexpected death.· Nelson's supporters were distressed about his use of racial slurs.distressed that: · I was crying all the time, and my mother was distressed that she could do nothing to comfort me.distressed to hear/learn/see/find etc: · We were all distressed to hear that Stuart had been attacked the night before.deeply distressed (=extremely distressed): · She was deeply distressed to see the animal in so much pain.
extremely upset, usually because you are very worried about something, so that you cry a lot or seem confused: · He could see that I was distraught, but he still kept asking me questions.· The distraught parents of the missing baby have made a public appeal for her return.distraught at/over/about: · We were all distraught about the accident, but Mama was the most upset.· Benson was so distraught over the breakup of his marriage that he committed suicide.distraught that: · Casey was totally distraught that they were throwing him out of school.
British informal to be so upset that you cannot stop crying or control your emotions: · Stephan called me in a state, saying he was thinking of killing himself.· The children were in such a state that the police couldn't question them.be in an awful/terrible/shocking etc state: · He's been in a terrible state since Julie left him.
to make someone feel upset · I'm sorry if I upset you - I didn't mean to.· "Why's he crying?" "I don't know - something must have upset him."· Try not to upset your father. He's had a hard day.it upsets somebody to see/hear/think etc · It still upsets me to think about my parents' divorce.what upsets somebody is · What upsets me most is the way she lied to me.
to make someone feel upset by being unkind to them or not thinking enough about their feelings, especially someone who trusts you and thinks you are their friend: · I would never do anything to hurt her.· The fact that his parents take little interest in his life hurts him more than he admits.it hurts somebody to see/hear/learn etc: · It hurts me to think that you still don't trust me.
to make someone feel upset or offended by something that you say or do, often unintentionally: · I'm sorry if I hurt your feelings, but I was just being honest.· Don't tell your sister what William said - you'll only hurt her feelings.· I didn't tell him I don't like his haircut - I don't want to hurt his feelings.
formal to make someone feel extremely upset or worried: · The number of young men who called asking for Marie distressed her mother.it distresses somebody to see/hear etc: · It distressed him to see Susie cry.
to become upset · I get upset when I see people being cruel to animals.· At the slightest mention of her ex-husband's name she gets upset.get upset about · It was an awful thing for him to say, but there's no point in getting upset about it.
informal to become very upset or angry, so that you think things are worse than they really are: · I'll tell you what he said, but promise you won't get worked up.get worked up about/over: · It's not worth getting worked up about. Anyone can make a mistake.get (yourself) all worked up: · If there's nothing you can do, why get yourself all worked up, honey?
to be more upset by what someone says than they intended you to be: · Don't take anything he said to heart - he was drunk.· Brian is a very sensitive kind of person and he takes criticism very much to heart.
especially British, informal to become very upset about something in a way that other people think is unnecessary: · There's no need to get so het up - it's only a driving test!
making you feel upset · She can't talk about her son's death - she finds it too upsetting.· Many adults manage to forget their more upsetting childhood experiences.it is upsetting to do something · It was upsetting to have to say goodbye so soon.
making you feel extremely upset or worried: · U.N. officials have called the recent arrest of political opponents "distressing."· Being in a strange city with no money was an extremely distressing situation.
a painful experience or memory makes you feel extremely upset and sad: · It's five years since we separated, but I still find the memories quite painful.· For those involved, the scandal has been a very painful experience.painful to: · Colin's death is painful to me and everyone who knew him.it is painful to see/hear etc: · It was so painful to see how frail she had become in just a few months.
an experience or event that is harrowing makes you feel extremely upset because it is very frightening or shocking: · The film contained harrowing scenes of starving children.· After a harrowing bus ride through the mountains, we arrived at the port of Heraklion.
an experience or event that is traumatic makes you feel so upset that it affects the way you think or behave for a very long time: · Len's slow and painful death was traumatic for the entire family.· Learning to swim was the most traumatic experience of my childhood.
getting upset easily · My brother pretends he's tough, but he's actually pretty sensitive.sensitive about · I didn't realize that Lee was so sensitive about her family.sensitive to criticism · If you are a public figure you can't afford to be too sensitive to criticism.
use this about someone who you think gets upset too easily: · When I complain about the mean things he says, he just tells me I'm being oversensitive.· Overly sensitive children have trouble making friends with other children.
to disturb a situation or event to disturb a situation, system, event etc, so that it cannot happen or work in its usual way: · The aim of the strike was to disrupt rail services as much as possible.· The protest disrupted the Democratic convention Saturday, nearly forcing its cancellation.· Moving schools frequently can disrupt a child's education.· Hecklers repeatedly disrupted Duke's news conference, calling him a liar and a fascist.
to disturb a plan, situation, relationship etc, especially so that people feel confused or angry: · Young children don't like anything which upsets their daily routine.· The closing of the plant threatens to upset the local economy.· Rowan said this latest outbreak of violence could upset the peace talks.
: break up a meeting/demonstration/march etc deliberately disturb it or prevent it from continuing, especially in a violent way: break up something: · Police broke up the demonstration with tear gas.· The conference was broken up by animal rights campaigners.break something up: · Breaking meetings up and harassing party members are just some of the tactics our opponents have used.
to disturb an organized event or a peaceful situation, for example by making a lot of noise or arguing with someone: · Loud frogs are disturbing the sleep of local home owners.· It is thought that the intruder was disturbed by a barking dog.
to let something fall or make something fall to stop holding something so that it falls, especially accidentally: · Watch you don't drop that box - it's very heavy.· Her hands shake constantly and she keeps dropping things.· You dropped your toy. Do you want it back?drop something on/onto something: · Margaret dropped the letters onto her desk.
to hit something so that it falls onto its side from an upright position, especially when you do this accidentally: knock something over: · Be careful or you'll knock the vase over.knock over something: · He bumped into the table and knocked over the candle.
to accidentally let liquid, powder, or small pieces of something fall onto a surface and spread out over it: · Oops, I just spilled my water.spill something down/all over/onto something: · "How was the party?" "OK, but some idiot spilled wine all over my new dress."· Aaron spilled all the popcorn on the floor.
to make something fall over, usually accidentally, by making it lose balance: tip something over: · The cat managed to tip the Christmas tree over.tip over something: · He accidentally tipped over a candle, and the tablecloth caught fire.
to make something fall on its side or turn something over completely, especially by pushing it very hard: · The wind was so strong that it overturned dustbins and wrecked fences.· Protestors overturned cars and set fire to them.
to accidentally knock or push something over, so that its contents fall out and spread over a wide area: · One of the kids upset a bottle of water on the table.
to make someone feel sad · Something at school was making her unhappy, but she didn't want to talk about it.it makes somebody sad/unhappy to do something · It made me sad to see her looking so old and ill.
to make someone feel sad and want to cry: · I'm sorry if I upset you - I didn't mean to.· The idea of having to change school seemed to upset him more than we thought it would.it upsets somebody to do something: · Her father died when she was ten, and it still upsets her to think about it.
if a situation or event saddens someone, it makes them feel sad, especially because they think that this type of situation or event should not happen: · Everyone was saddened by the news that housing is to be built on the fields beside Cliff Lane.· Those of us who knew him are shocked and saddened by his death.it saddens somebody to do something: · Sometimes it saddened him to think that he was no longer young.it saddens somebody that : · It saddens me that there are people who go around vandalizing public places like this.
to make someone feel very sad or unhappy, especially so that they feel that only bad things happen and they cannot change the situation: · Listening to the news can really depress you, if you let it.· Shaun decided to leave. The way the others were behaving was beginning to depress him.it depresses somebody to do something: · It depressed me to think that five years ago I was earning more than I do now.
informal to gradually make someone feel unhappy and tired over a period of time: · The endless rain was beginning to get him down.· You can tell me if there's anything that's worrying you or getting you down.
to make someone very sad and upset, especially because a relationship has ended or because they are very disappointed: · When Annie left him, it broke his heart.it breaks somebody's heart (that): · It breaks my heart that his career has been ruined.it breaks somebody's heart to do something: · It would break her heart to leave the lovely old stone house where she'd lived for so long.
spoken if something is a downer , it makes you feel unhappy, especially because it is not good or successful: · I thought the movie was going to be a total downer, but it wasn't.on a downer: · The home team concluded its season on a big downer with a 2- 0 defeat.
to make someone feel very unhappy and without hope - use this especially when a bad situation is continuing and they cannot see how to change it: · There were times when the endless arguments drove him to despair.· By the time I was 17, the atmosphere at the school was driving me to despair.
making you feel sad use this about a story, piece of music, period of time etc that makes you feel sad: sad time/day/moment/occasion etc: · The day her son left home was one of the saddest days of her life.sad news/story/song etc: · Fairuz sang a sad song that made us all feel homesick.· I don't like movies with sad endings.it is sad that: · It's very sad that she died before her children grew up.
: unhappy childhood/marriage/year etc a time when you are unhappy because you are in a difficult or unpleasant situation: · Phil was married for three unhappy years.· Looking at that photo always bring back unhappy memories.· an unhappy love affair
a depressing experience, story, piece of news etc makes you feel that there is nothing to be happy about and not much hope for the future: · The Deerhunter was a very depressing movie about Vietnam.· It's such a depressing town - it's full of ugly, disused factories.· Listening to the news can be really depressing, when all you ever hear about is violence and crime.
an upsetting experience or event makes you feel very sad and often shocked: · Seeing her lying there in a hospital bed was a very upsetting experience.· She can't talk about her son's death - she finds it too upsetting.it is upsetting to find/know/learn etc something: · It's very upsetting to arrive home and find that your house has been burgled.
a time that is miserable is one when you are extremely unhappy because you are in a very unpleasant situation: · Factory workers during the 18th century led miserable lives.· The journey home was miserable. Everyone was depressed about losing the game.
a story, event, piece of news etc that is heartbreaking makes you feel extremely sad and sorry or extremely disappointed: · It's a heartbreaking moment when a great sportsman finally decides that it's time to quit.· The decision to kill the infected animals was a heart-rending one for farmers.it is heartbreaking to see/learn etc something: · Having worked so hard to start the business, it would be heartbreaking to see it all collapse.
a dismal place, situation, or time makes you feel unhappy and not at all hopeful: · It was a grey, dismal November afternoon.· Melinda joined her husband in Moscow, but soon found life there bleak and dismal.· The profit margin on hardware sales for the first quarter was a dismal 29%.
a place, activity, or time that is dreary is not at all interesting or enjoyable and makes you feel unhappy: · This room is so dreary. How can we brighten it up?· a dreary winter's day· Cooking for one person can be a dreary business, as many elderly people find.
a place or situation that is bleak is one in which there is nothing to make you feel cheerful or hopeful about the future: · The wild landscape was bleak and bare.· He gazed around the empty, bleak little room in despair.· Many people were facing a financially bleak Christmas.· The chief executive said that the company was looking at a bleak future.the outlook/prospect/future etc is bleak : · Prospects of success looked bleak as the opposition scored the first two goals.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY The chemicals upset the balance of the environment.COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES She was visibly shaken by the news.COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADVERB
The chemicals upset the balance of the environment. (=cause problems which spoil the arrangements)· I don’t want to upset your arrangements.
(=make it less equal or correct)· The move could upset the delicate balance of power in the Middle East.
· She was secretly appalled at the prospect of being looked after by her aunt.
· She disliked things that disrupted her routine.
(=a stomach affected by illness)· Debbie was at home because she had an upset stomach.
(=when your stomach is affected by illness)· The boy had a stomach upset after eating berries from the garden.
British English (=an illness of the stomach that makes you vomit)
She was visibly shaken by the news.· If she had discovered that Tina could have said much the same she would have been deeply upset.· Friends and family members here who have spoken with Makharadze by telephone since the accident describe him as deeply upset.· Mr Pollock's family are deeply upset by the claim, according to their minister, the Rev Trevor Gribben.· This mollified investors but deeply upset employees.
· Despite the squeal she didn't seem particularly upset.· They called themselves the Clamshell Alliance after the local clam fishers, who had been particularly upset by the plan.· What particularly upset them, in some cases, was the negative tone, as they saw it, of assessments.
· Gretzky was visibly upset after skating over to check on his wife.· He gets visibly upset when talking about the transplants, saying they needlessly subject children to harrowing side effects.
NOUN· As I said, you could have upset the apple cart badly.· Our specific role in the political milieu is to upset the apple cart, which is precisely what happened in Florida.· Just when you think you have got your finances whipped into shape something or some one comes along to upset the apple cart.
· The proposed law would upset that balance in favor of property owners.· The finish is also more permanent and does not upset the float's balance.· She has upset the natural balance of the world, including the ecology of Earth and Heaven.· In general landowners were expected to work the land and to increase productivity, but not to upset the ecological balance.· Critics say the law upsets the balance of power by delegating legislative authority to the executive branch.· The chemicals upset the balance of the environment and killed not only the whitefly but also other wildlife including the bumble bee.· They upset the delicate balance of interests on which high organizational performance is so often based.
· As I said, you could have upset the apple cart badly.· Our specific role in the political milieu is to upset the apple cart, which is precisely what happened in Florida.· Just when you think you have got your finances whipped into shape something or some one comes along to upset the apple cart.
· When I fought against it, the resulting unpleasantness always upset my father.· She was upset my father would think it could affect her feelings.
· The girl did not like her father and was upset when her divorced parents got back together.· But her study of them and conclusions are likely to upset many parents whose children have been classified as such.· This is not a dangerous complication, has no aftereffects, and requires no treatments, but it does upset parents.
· He hated to upset people, especially his own children.· We had some pretty upset people.· Odd then that we are still at liberty to buy foreign cars, even though this might upset people in Birmingham.· Since some of that art is protest art, it inevitably upsets some people.· It's not blasphemous, it's not going to upset people.· That could be fatal, she said, and would upset a lot of people.· This cosy arrangement upset a lot of people and an angry crowd gathered outside the palace.
· She'd only been annoyed because it upset all her work plans.· They called themselves the Clamshell Alliance after the local clam fishers, who had been particularly upset by the plan.· Iconoclasts, however, can upset the best laid plans of stereotyped one-day skippers.
· If you had a stomach upset you were sent to Mrs. Sutton who sold you a powder for tuppence.· The cold symptoms, the stomach upset, the fevers all pointed to flu.· Additionally, many people report stomach upsets, ear infections and rashes after coming into contact with the lake water.· John King makes a late shuffle after Neil McNab goes down with a stomach upset.· Symptoms can include stomach upsets, headaches, sore throats, asthma and tiredness.· A less severe cough, cold, throat or stomach upset etc. may need a dose 2 or 3 times a day.
VERB· Kristina became very upset with Dennis for not being able to solve the program problem.· Sometimes, high producers become upset over the low productivity of others.· Presently they begin to believe that these are their proper roles and become upset when challenged.· They're likely to become emotionally upset.· After an exchange with Bonin, Zimmer became so upset that he had to be restrained.
· We feel it may have upset her mentally.· If you feel upset by an apparent unfairness, pursue the matter through the grievance procedure.· I felt pretty upset about six months ago when it all started.· She felt on edge, upset by all the emotional ups and downs.· As some one bereaved through the disease, I felt angry and upset by the flippancy with which you dealt with this subject.
· I get upset all the time on that show.· You get upset in the most florid ways, the most extreme hyperbole.· She sits around like a spider waiting for him to get upset so she can comfort him.· Respond to personal attack by getting angry or upset.· And the prime actors-the privileged few-could get very upset by this.· He gets visibly upset when talking about the transplants, saying they needlessly subject children to harrowing side effects.
· I took it off Uncle when he was doolally, because it seemed to upset him.· But this time around, few others in Washington seem particularly surprised or upset, either.· This seemed to upset Leslie disproportionately.· You seem upset, Mr McMurphy.· You seemed to have upset him rather.· She seemed really upset, her voice trembling a little.· Despite the squeal she didn't seem particularly upset.· He seemed genuinely upset that the boy had been killed.
PHRASES FROM THE ENTRY► upset your stomach
- As I said, you could have upset the apple cart badly.
- Just when you think you have got your finances whipped into shape something or some one comes along to upset the apple cart.
- Our specific role in the political milieu is to upset the apple cart, which is precisely what happened in Florida.
WORD FAMILYadjectiveupsetupsettingnounupsetverbupset
1make somebody unhappy to make someone feel unhappy or worried: Don’t do anything that would upset him.it upsets somebody that/when/to do It upsets me to see you cry.2change something to change a plan or situation in a way that causes problems: The chemicals upset the balance of the environment.3make something fall to push something over without intending to: He upset a bowl of soup.4defeat to defeat an opponent who is considered to be much better than you: Jones upset the 40th-ranked American, Cunningham.5upset the apple cart informal to completely spoil someone’s plans6upset your stomach to affect your stomach and make you feel sick: The soup was revolting and upset my stomach.—upsetting adjective