upturn
/ˈʌptɜːn/ (bre, ipa) · [ˈʌptˌɚn] /ˈʌptɜːrn/ (ame, ipa) · [ˈʌptˌɚn] /ˈəp-ˌtərn How to pronounce upturn (audio) ˌəp-ˈtərn/ (ame, mw)
upturn — noun
- upturnsingular
- upturnsplural
1. a period when something, especially business activity, prices, or economic condi
a period when something, especially business activity, prices, or economic conditions, starts to improve or increase after a time of being weak or low.
The housing market finally showed an upturn after three years of falling prices.
show + an upturn
Hao's family-run bakery saw an upturn in sales after they started offering gluten-free options.
upturn in + [area]
The recent upturn in tourism brought new jobs to the coastal town of Setúbal.
The latest jobs report showed an upturn in manufacturing employment in the state of Ohio.
With the economic upturn, the Watanabe family finally felt secure enough to buy a house.
- recovery
broader; implies a return to a previous healthy state after damage or loss
- improvement
more general English; not limited to trends or statistics
- upswing
very similar in meaning; also used for economic or business cycles
- revival
stronger; suggests a return to life or activity after near-collapse
文法句型
upturn + in + [area/field]
show/see + an upturn
用法筆記
Subject is typically an economic indicator (market, economy, sales, prices) or a broad sector (tourism, manufacturing). Frequently appears with 'in' to specify the field that is improving.
常見錯誤
upturn — verb
- upturnpresent simple I / you / we / they
- upturns3rd person singular
- upturning-ing form
- upturnedpast simple
1. to move something so that its underside or inner surface faces upward, often as
to move something so that its underside or inner surface faces upward, often as part of a deliberate physical action.
Mira upturned the heavy ceramic bowl onto the chopping board, revealing the dough inside.
upturn + soil / earth / ground
Takeshi upturned his coffee cup to check for a maker's mark on the bottom.
The child upturned the bucket and used it as a stool to reach the shelf.
As Mert upturned the old crate, a family of mice scurried out from underneath.
- right
to return something to its normal upright position
文法句型
upturn + [physical object]
用法筆記
Object is always a physical item that has a clear top and bottom (container, soil, piece of furniture). More common as the participial adjective 'upturned' (an upturned boat, an upturned face).
常見錯誤
2. to raise or point a part of your body, especially your face, chin, or palms, so
to raise or point a part of your body, especially your face, chin, or palms, so that it faces toward a higher position.
Yael upturned her face to feel the warm morning sun on her skin.
upturn + face / chin / palms
Nikhil upturned his palms and shrugged to show that he had no idea what happened.
The old woman upturned her chin with quiet pride as she accepted the award.
Linh upturned her face toward the night sky, searching for a star among the clouds.
- lower
to move something downward
文法句型
upturn + [body part]
用法筆記
This sense is literary or descriptive in tone. The object is almost always a part of the face or hands. In modern English, 'tilt up', 'raise', or 'lift' are far more common alternatives.
3. to curve, bend, or point in an upward direction, especially as a natural feature
to curve, bend, or point in an upward direction, especially as a natural feature of something such as a part of the body.
The corners of Diya's mouth upturned slightly as she read the funny message.
corners of the mouth upturn
The stray cat's whiskers upturned as it caught the smell of grilled fish drifting from Otis's kitchen.
Alessia's small nose upturned at the tip, just like the nose in her grandmother's old wedding portrait.
The tips of Roya's hair upturned in the humid weather, curling away from her neck.
- point upward
more general; can apply to inanimate objects
- curve upward
emphasises the shape rather than the direction
- bend upward
suggests a deliberate or natural angle change
- turn downward
to curve or point downward
文法句型
[body part] + upturns
用法筆記
Distinguish from verb sense 2: sense 2 is transitive (someone directs a body part upward); sense 3 is intransitive — a body part naturally curves or bends upward by itself. The participial adjective 'upturned' (an upturned nose) is vastly more frequent than this verb in active use.