Upset

/ˌʌpˈsɛt/

Synonyms for "upset" (949 found)

Ranked by relevance and common usage.

Closest matches (190)

Noun(14 words)
disturbanceoverturnaggrievingalarmanger fitanger someoneanguishbumscause of unbalancechagriningchaoseschaoticchurningclassroom disarray
Show 138 more words
Adjective(3 words)

Strong matches (285)

Show 193 more words
derangementdestroydilemmadisarrangedisarrangeddisarrangementdisarraydisarticulationdisbalancediscardeddiscombobulatediscombobulationdiscomfitdiscomfiteddiscomfiturediscomfortdiscomforteddiscommodediscomposediscomposeddiscomposuredisconcertdisconcerteddisconcertednessdisconcertiondisconcertmentdiscountenancediscrediteddiscreditingdisequilibratedishdisharmonydisheveldishevelmentdisintegrationdisjointdisjunctiondislocateddislodgmentdismaydismayeddismissdismisseddisorderdisordereddisorderlinessdisorderlydisorganizationdisorganizedisorganizeddisorientdisorientationdisorienteddispleasedispose ofdisproportiondisproveddisputeddisquietdisquieteddisquietudedisruptdisruptiondistractdistracteddistractiondistraughtdistressdistresseddisturbdisturbancedisturbeddivisiondone fordone indowndownfalldreadebullitioneffective rejoinderelectrifyeludeembarrassembarrassedembarrassmentembroilembroilmentenigmaentangleentropyexciteexcitedexcitementexplodedexposedfallfallenfanaticismfearfermentfermentationfeverfeverishfeverishnessfidgetsfidgetyfinishfixfixedflapfloorflooredflummoxflurriedflurryflusterflusteredflutterflutterationflutteredfogfoilfoilingfomentfomentationfoofarawforebodingforebodingnessfounderfranticfrazzlefreaked outfrenzyfretfrightenfrightenedfrustratefrustrationfuck upfuddlefuddlementfumefuriousfurorfurorefuryfussfussedgive concerngo downguessinggum uphaphazardnessharryhavochaywirehazeheartbrokenhoneycombhorrifyhorrorhors de combathubbubhung uphurly burlyhurly-burlyhurryhurtill at easeill-at-easeimpugnedin a fixin a jumblein a mazein a picklein a potherin a puckerin a scrapein a stewin a sweatin a swivetin a tizzyin disorderincapacitateincidentincoherenceinconvenienceindiscriminatenessindisposeinharmonious harmonyinquietudeinterfere withintolerant
Adjective(16 words)
depresseddevastateddisappointeddisgruntleddishevelleddisordereddisorganized groupdisorganized guidedisorganized routinedisquieteddisquietingdistresseddisturbedemotional distressgreat disarrayharrowing
Adjective(1 words)
in a tizzy

Related words (474)

Show 367 more words
knock overknock the chockslambastedlatheredlay uplickedload with carelostmadmaelstrommalaisemattermazemazedmessmess upmisgivingmisplacedmistmix upmixed upmoidermoilmortifiedmortifymost admired disordermovemuddlemuddledmuddlementmysterynegatednegativednervenervinessnervositynervousnervous strainnervous tensionnervousnessnervynettleneurasthenicnonplusnonsymmetrynonuniformityoff the trackoffendon the fritzon the skidsout of countenanceout of gearout of jointout of kelterout of kilterout of orderout of placeout of tuneout of whackoutdoneoveranxietyoveraweoverbalanceoverborneovercomeoverexcitedovermasterovermasteredovermatchovermatchedoverpoweroverpoweredoverriddenoversetoverthrowoverthrowaloverthrownoverturnoverturnedoverwhelmoverwhelmedoverwroughtpaddlepainpalace revolutionpandemoniumpanic-strickenpanickedparrypassionperplexperplexedperplexityperturbperturbateperturbationperturbedpicklepins and needlespitchpoleplightpotherpredicamentproblempromiscuitypromiscuousnessprostrateprostratedprostrationprovokepsychpsych outpuckerpuncturedput offput output to itput to routput to silenceput uponput-output-uponpuzzlepuzzlementquandaryqueasyracketradical changerageraise hellrandomnessranklerattlerattledrebutrebuttalreduce to silencereduced to jellyrefutalrefutationrefuterefutedrejectedresentfulresentmentrestlessrestlessnessreversereversedrevoltrevoluterevolutionrevolutionary warrevolutionizerevulsionriddlerileripplerockrock the boatroilroilyroughenroutroutedrowruckusruffleruffledruinruinedrummagerumplerumpussabotagesapsap the foundationsscandalizescarescaredscatteredscenescotchscrapescrew upscuttleseetheseethingsend flyingsettlesettledshakeshake upshakenshaken upshattershockshookshotshot to piecesshown upshuffleshuffledshut upsicksickensilencesilencedsinkskewskinnedskinned alivesmash all oppositionsnarl upsolicitudesomersaultsomersetsorespasmspikespillspitespoilspooksquashsqueamishsquelchstaggerstampededstand in the waystartlestewstirstir upstirred upstonewallstorminessstrainstressstrickenstriking alterationstumpsubversionsubvertsuffersurmountsurprisesuspensesweatsweeping changeswirlswivettabula rasatechnological revolutiontempestuousnesstensetensionthrashthrashingthrowthrow downthrow into confusionthrow off balancethrow overthwartthwartingtiptip overtizzyto doto-dotoppletopple overtoppledtopsy-turvifytopsy-turvytotal changetransiliencetraumatrepidationtrepiditytrimmedtriptrip uptriumphtriumph overtroubletroubledtroubloustrouncedtumbletumulttumultuationtumultuousnessturbidturbidityturbulenceturbulentturmoilturnturn a somersaultturn overturn topsy-turvyturn turtleturn upside downturned aroundturnovertwitterunassurednessunbalanceunbraceuncomfortableundermineunderminingundoundoneuneaseuneasinessuneasyungluedunhingeunhorsingunmanunmannedunnerveunnervedunpeacefulunplacementunquietunquietnessunrestunsaddlingunseatingunsettleunsettledunsettlementunstringunstrungunsymmetryununiformityupendupheavaluproarupset the boatupsettingupside downupturnvanquishvexationvictoryviolent changeweakenwhelmedwhipwhip upwhippedwhiskwildwildnesswithout a cluework upworriedworryworstworstedzealzealousness
Noun(37 words)
invertjanglesmajor upheavalmost continuous tearingnauseatedoverthrowperturbperturbationqueasyreversalrufflesshockshock victorysicksorrowspillstate of tumultsurpriseswagetear apart
Show 17 more words
Adjective(10 words)

Choosing the right synonym

  • Closest matches in this entry: discompose, disconcert, disturb, disturbance, overturn.
  • Sentence evidence is available for upset, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
  • Ranking signals come from wiktionary, wordnet, opengloss, derived_reverse, and related lexical sources.

Synonym selection checklist

  • Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
  • Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
  • Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "upset".
  • Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.

When not to replace "upset"

Keep "upset" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.

If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.

Replacement workflow

1. Preserve meaning

Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "upset" intact in the sentence you are editing.

2. Tune tone

Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.

3. Re-read context

Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.

Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.

Final fit check

After choosing a replacement for "upset", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.

If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "upset" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.

Related word relations

OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.

6 relation types

More general

50 entries

Showing 16 of 50 words.

More specific

24 entries

Showing 16 of 24 words.

Collocations

15 entries
emotional upsetmajor upsetsports upsetunderdog upsetunderdog victoryupset expectationsupset moodupset scheduleupset stomachupset the apple cartupset the balanceupset the moodupset the plansupset the scheduleupset victory

Inflections

4 entries
more upsetmost upsetupsetsupsetting

Derivations

3 entries

similar

11 entries

Translations

23 translations across 12 languages.

Powered by Wiktionary

Afrikaans

2 entries
  • omgekrap adj (of a stomach)
  • ontsteld adj (of a stomach)

Bulgarian

1 entries
  • разстроен adj (of a stomach)

Chinese Cantonese

1 entries
  • 唔舒服 adj (of a stomach)

Dutch

2 entries
  • overstuur adj (of a stomach)
  • van streek adj (of a stomach)

Finnish

1 entries
  • sekaisin adj (of a stomach)

French

4 entries
  • bouleversé adj (of a stomach)
  • dérangé adj (of a stomach)
  • perturbé adj (of a stomach)
  • remué adj (of a stomach)

German

4 entries
  • gereizt adj (of a stomach)
  • nervös adj (of a stomach)
  • verdorben adj (of a stomach)
  • verkorkst adj (of a stomach)

Hungarian

1 entries
  • elrontott (gyomor/has) adj (of a stomach)

Khmer

3 entries
  • ទល់ពោះ adj (of a stomach)
  • ហល់ផ្ទៃ adj (of a stomach)
  • អជីរណា adj (of a stomach)

Polish

1 entries
  • rozstrojony adj (of a stomach)

Romanian

1 entries
  • deranjat adj (of a stomach)

Swedish

1 entries
  • orolig adj (of a stomach)

Sample sentences

31 total sentences available.

Tatoeba + Wiktionary

I'm sorry to upset your plans.

Source: tatoeba (17251)

The journalist was too upset to distinguish vice from virtue.

Source: tatoeba (20194)

Don't be upset by a sudden change in the weather.

Source: tatoeba (20329)

The office has been topsy-turvy since the merger upset everything.

Source: tatoeba (22385)

Showing 4 of 31 available sentences.

Common questions

What are the closest synonyms for "upset"?

Closest matches include discompose, disconcert, disturb, disturbance, overturn.

How should I check whether a synonym fits "upset"?

Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.

More for "upset"