Definition of “upset” - English Dictionary

American
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“upset” in English

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upsetverb [ T ]

uk ​ /ʌpˈset/ us ​ /ʌpˈset/ present participle upsetting, past tense and past participle upset

upset verb [ T ] (WORRY)

B2 to make someone worried, unhappy, or angry:

It still upsets him when he thinks about the accident.
Don't upset yourself by thinking about what might have been.

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Idiom(s)

upset the apple cart

upsetadjective

uk ​ /ʌpˈset/ us ​ /ʌpˈset/

upset adjective (WORRIED)

A2 [ after verb ] worried, unhappy, or angry:

Don't get upset about the dress - there's only a little stain on it.
[ + to infinitive ] She was very upset to hear that the party had been cancelled.
[ + that ] He was very upset that you didn't reply to his emails.

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upsetnoun

uk ​ /ˈʌp.set/ us ​ /ˈʌp.set/

(Definition of “upset” from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)

“upset” in American English

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upsetverb [ T ]

us ​ /ˌʌpˈset/ present participle upsetting, past tense and past participle upset

upset verb [ T ] (WORRY)

› to make someone worried, unhappy, or angry:

The governor’s veto upset a lot of people.

upset verb [ T ] (CHANGE)

› to change the usual or expected state or order of something in a way that stops it from happening or working:

The airline strike could upset our vacation plans.

upset verb [ T ] (FEEL ILL)

› to make your stomach feel bad:

Too much fried food can upset your stomach.

upsetadjective

us ​ /ˌʌpˈset/

upset adjective (WORRIED)

› worried, unhappy, or angry:

Mom gets really upset if we don’t call and tell her where we are.
She was very upset about losing her wallet.

upset adjective (ILL)

› (of the stomach) feeling bad:

Ginger (= the spicy root of a tropical plant) has been used to calm an upset stomach.

upsetnoun [ C ]

us ​ /ˈʌpˌset/

› (in sports) a surprising victory by a person or team that was expected to lose

(Definition of “upset” from the Cambridge Academic Content Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

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