upset 1 of 3

adjective

(ˌ)əp-ˈset How to pronounce upset (audio)
Definition of upsetnext
as in worried
feeling or showing uncomfortable feelings of uncertainty she was upset by the unexplained change in plans

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

upset

2 of 3

verb

(ˌ)əp-ˈset How to pronounce upset (audio)
1
as in to worry
to trouble the mind of; to make uneasy the smallest things can upset us if we're already stressed

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to overturn
to turn on one's side or upside down the narrow boat upsets easily and should be handled with care

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to disrupt
to undo the proper order or arrangement of the change in the bus schedule upset our daily routine

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

upset

3 of 3

noun

ˈəp-ˌset How to pronounce upset (audio)
as in disruption
an act or instance of the order of things being disturbed the move to a new town is just the latest in a series of upsets for my family over the last year

Synonyms & Similar Words

Try This Instead

For
Try This
an upset child
an unhappy child
an agitated child
an emotional child
a distraught child
a perturbed child
upset customers
unhappy customers
displeased customers
unsatisfied customers
outraged customers
angry customers
an upset stomach
a sour stomach
an irritable stomach
an unsettled stomach
an uneasy stomach
a sick stomach

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb upset contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of upset are agitate, discompose, disquiet, disturb, fluster, and perturb. While all these words mean "to destroy capacity for collected thought or decisive action," upset implies the disturbance of normal or habitual functioning by disappointment, distress, or grief.

the family's constant bickering upsets the youngest child

When is it sensible to use agitate instead of upset?

While the synonyms agitate and upset are close in meaning, agitate suggests obvious external signs of nervous or emotional excitement.

in his agitated state we could see he was unable to work

In what contexts can discompose take the place of upset?

Although the words discompose and upset have much in common, discompose implies some degree of loss of self-control or self-confidence especially through emotional stress.

discomposed by the loss of his beloved wife

When can disquiet be used instead of upset?

The synonyms disquiet and upset are sometimes interchangeable, but disquiet suggests loss of sense of security or peace of mind.

the disquieting news of factories closing

When might disturb be a better fit than upset?

In some situations, the words disturb and upset are roughly equivalent. However, disturb implies interference with one's mental processes caused by worry, perplexity, or interruption.

the discrepancy in accounts disturbed me

When could fluster be used to replace upset?

The words fluster and upset are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, fluster suggests bewildered agitation.

his declaration of love completely flustered her

When would perturb be a good substitute for upset?

The meanings of perturb and upset largely overlap; however, perturb implies deep disturbance of mind and emotions.

perturbed by her husband's strange behavior

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of upset
Adjective
How long has Epoch been upset about Sylvanian Drama? —Jennifer Zhan, Vulture, 17 July 2025 His steal against Jaylen Brown in Game 1 was a thing of beauty and doing the same to Jayson Tatum to seal Game 2 made the upset over the Boston Celtics during the Eastern Conference Semifinals a distinct possibility. —Tom Rende, Forbes.com, 16 July 2025
Verb
Her goal is to comfort those who are sympathetic to her critique and upset those who are not. —Laura Gersony, AZCentral.com, 8 July 2025 The fans say they are upset by the Galaxy management’s silence amid ICE’s presence in the Latino community. —Los Angeles Times, 5 July 2025
Noun
Side effects were minimal, with the most common being mild digestive upsets, similar to that of semaglutide (Ozempic and Wegovy). —New Atlas, 21 June 2025 Where working class folks stage electoral upsets against the powers that be. —Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 9 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for upset
Recent Examples of Synonyms for upset
  1. worried
  2. worry
  3. overturn
  4. disrupt
  5. disruption
  6. nervous
  7. disturb
  8. capsize
Adjective
  • Many tourism leaders in gateway towns near them are worried tourists will start going elsewhere if the park experience or its environment gets eroded.
    — Kirk Siegler, NPR, 24 July 2025
  • As an interior and environment appropriations bill makes its way through Congress, activists are worried about its impacts, including on coal ash regulations.
    — Maya Wilkins, Chicago Tribune, 23 July 2025
Definition of worried
Verb
  • Still, some experts worry about using federal aid to fund such programs.
    — Natalie Yahr, jsonline.com, 19 July 2025
  • Buying back-to-school supplies can be challenging for families, so organizations and companies across Phoenix are hosting backpack and school supply giveaways to ensure that no student has to worry about being ready for the school year.
    — Erick Trevino, AZCentral.com, 19 July 2025
Definition of worry
Verb
  • Six appealed their disqualifications but none of the disqualifications were overturned, the NYPD said in court papers.
    — Rocco Parascandola, New York Daily News, 15 July 2025
  • The Department of Justice (DOJ) has called on the Supreme Court to reject an appeal by Ghislaine Maxwell to overturn her conviction.
    — Kate Plummer, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 July 2025
Definition of overturn
Verb
  • The industry’s year of strikes in 2023 also disrupted the flow of Hollywood movie releases to the local multiplex.
    — Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 11 July 2025
  • Frequent use can disrupt normal bowel function and lead to laxative dependence or chronic constipation.7 Only use castor oil under medical guidance.
    — Lindsay Curtis, Verywell Health, 11 July 2025
Definition of disrupt
Noun
  • Flash flood warnings and watches stretched from Virginia through Pennsylvania, as communities contended with fast-rising waters and significant travel disruption.
    — Barney Henderson, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 July 2025
  • Food system instability exposes markets to cascading shocks: inflation, trade disruption, insurance losses and sovereign credit stress.
    — Felicia Jackson, Forbes.com, 15 July 2025
Definition of disruption
Adjective
  • Joe Mazur, senior analyst at Trivium China, a research and advisory firm, said the use of exit bans and the lack of clarity around specific cases will make foreign companies extremely nervous about sending staff to China, damaging overall business confidence.
    — John Liu, CNN Money, 23 July 2025
  • All 11 brought home at least one full point in Rome, the result of their talent but also of a cohesive approach where veteran Justin Rose was willing to be paired with nervous rookie Robert MacIntyre in fourball and sit the foursomes sessions.
    — Brody Miller, New York Times, 23 July 2025
Definition of nervous
Verb
  • In 2005, an anonymous tipster sent the family disturbing images of a woman from an adult website based in the Caribbean.
    — Stephanie Nolasco, FOXNews.com, 19 July 2025
  • Signs on the fence that surrounds the property warn of large fines for disturbing the site, which is the subject of investigation by the Office of the State Fire Marshal and Cal-OSHA.
    — Nathaniel Levine, Sacbee.com, 19 July 2025
Definition of disturb
Verb
  • The boat capsized due to heavy winds, the local Vietnam outlet reported.
    — Kimberlee Speakman, People.com, 19 July 2025
  • At least 34 people are dead after a sudden thunderstorm caused a tourist boat to capsize in Vietnam on Saturday, according to local reports.
    — Michael Dorgan, FOXNews.com, 19 July 2025
Definition of capsize

Browse Nearby Words

upscale
upset
upsets
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Upset.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/upset. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.

Copy Citation

Share

More from Merriam-Webster on upset

Nglish: Translation of upset for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Using Bullet Points ( • )

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Our Best Historical Slang Terms

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Better Ways to Say 'This Sucks'

8 Words with Fascinating Histories
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Our Best Historical Slang Terms

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
anagrams on a chalk board
Word Builder Quiz Pick the letter that when added to a word will ma...
See All