upset

/ʌpˈset/ (bre, ipa) · /ʌpˈset/ (ame, ipa) · /(ˌ)əp-ˈset/ (ame, mw) · /ˌʌpˈset/ (bre, ipa) · /ˌʌpˈset/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈʌp.set/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈʌp.set/ (ame, ipa)

upset — 動詞

  • upsets3rd person singular
  • upsetting-ing form
  • upsetpast simple

1. to make someone feel worried, unhappy, or emotionally shaken — for example, by t

1.動詞及物B2
釋義

使煩惱

讓某人感到傷心、擔心或生氣

to make someone feel worried, unhappy, or emotionally shaken — for example, by telling them bad news, treating them unfairly, or saying something hurtful.

例句

The news of the factory closing upset Stefan's entire family.

工廠關閉的消息讓 Stefan 全家感到難過。

Beatriz felt deeply upset when her application was turned down.

Beatriz 的申請被拒絕後，她感到非常難過。

felt deeply upset — common adverb + adjective collocation

同義詞
  • distress

    stronger, suggests serious emotional pain

  • bother

    milder, often about minor annoyances

  • trouble

    suggests worry or concern rather than sadness

反義詞
  • comfort

    to make someone feel better after they are upset

  • reassure

    to say things that take away someone's worries

文法句型

upset + noun/pronoun

be upset by + noun

be upset to + infinitive

be upset that + clause

用法筆記

Often used in the passive: be/get upset by/about something. The that-clause and to-infinitive patterns are common after passive constructions.

常見錯誤

❌I upsetted my friend.
✅I upset my friend.
💡upset is an irregular verb; the past form is upset, not upsetted.
❌The news upset me angry.
✅The news made me angry.' or 'The news upset me.
💡upset already expresses emotional disturbance; do not add another emotion verb.

2. to change the expected or normal condition of something, usually creating disord

2.動詞及物B2
釋義

打亂；攪亂

擾亂原本的狀態或計畫

to change the expected or normal condition of something, usually creating disorder or preventing it from happening as planned.

例句

The sudden rain upset all our plans for the outdoor wedding reception.

一場大雨打亂了我們所有戶外婚宴的計畫。

upset + plans — common collocation for disrupted arrangements

A loud noise from the street upset the rhythm of Yael's piano practice.

街上的噪音打亂了 Yael 練琴的節奏。

同義詞
  • disrupt

    more formal, emphasises breaking the flow of something

  • disturb

    milder, suggests interfering without necessarily ruining

  • throw off

    more informal, common in spoken English

反義詞
  • maintain

    to keep something in its expected state

  • preserve

    to keep something unchanged

文法句型

upset + abstract noun (plans, balance, schedule)

用法筆記

This sense is about disrupting abstract systems (plans, schedules, balance) rather than physical objects. The object is typically a process or arrangement, not a person.

常見錯誤

❌The rain upsetted our plan.
✅The rain upset our plan.
💡same irregular past form as sense 1.

3. to accidentally push or hit something so that it falls, spills, or moves from it

3.動詞及物B2
釋義

打翻；碰倒

意外碰倒物品使其傾倒或灑出

to accidentally push or hit something so that it falls, spills, or moves from its correct position.

例句

Tunde accidentally upset his coffee cup and ruined the documents on his desk.

Tunde 不小心打翻了咖啡杯，桌上的文件都毀了。

upset + container (cup, glass, bowl) — spilling contents

The cat jumped onto the shelf and upset a vase of dried flowers.

那隻貓跳上架子，碰倒了一個乾燥花的花瓶。

同義詞
  • knock over

    more common in everyday spoken English

  • overturn

    more formal, suggests something turns onto its side or top

  • spill

    used when liquid comes out of a container

文法句型

upset + concrete noun

用法筆記

This sense always involves a physical object being knocked from its position. Do not confuse with sense 1 (emotional) or sense 2 (abstract disruption).

常見錯誤

❌I upset a glass of water on purpose.
✅I knocked over a glass of water on purpose.
💡upset in this sense implies accident, not deliberate action.

4. to cause someone's stomach to feel uncomfortable or slightly nauseous, often bec

4.動詞及物B2
釋義

引起不適

導致腸胃不舒服或想吐

to cause someone's stomach to feel uncomfortable or slightly nauseous, often because of something they have eaten or drunk.

例句

The smell of raw fish always upsets Anjali's stomach.

生魚的味道總是讓 Anjali 的腸胃不舒服。

upset [possessive] stomach — fixed expression

Eating too many sweets upset the children's stomachs during the long car ride.

孩子們在漫長的車程中吃了太多糖果，肚子都不舒服。

同義詞
反義詞
  • settle

    to calm the stomach, e.g., 'ginger tea settled my stomach'

文法句型

upset + person's stomach

upset + person

用法筆記

The object is almost always 'stomach' or a person. When used with a person, the nausea is implied rather than stated directly — 'the ride upset me' means it made me feel sick.

常見錯誤

❌The food upset my head.
✅The food upset my stomach.
💡upset in this sense is specific to stomach discomfort.
❌I upset after eating.
✅I felt upset after eating.' or 'The food upset my stomach.
💡when describing your own condition, use adjective or specify the stomach.

5. to beat a competitor who was expected to win, especially in a sports match or co

5.動詞及物C1
釋義

爆冷擊敗

意外打敗預期會贏的對手

to beat a competitor who was expected to win, especially in a sports match or competition.

例句

The underdog team upset the defending champions in the final match of the season.

這支不被看好的球隊在賽季總決賽中爆冷擊敗了衛冕冠軍。

underdog team upsets favourite — typical sports-journalism pattern

Imran upset the top seed in the first round of the regional tennis tournament.

Imran 在地區網球錦標賽第一輪就爆冷擊敗了頭號種子。

同義詞
  • defeat

    neutral, no element of surprise

  • beat

    informal, general term for winning

  • overcome

    suggests a hard-fought victory

反義詞
  • lose to

    the expected outcome when the favourite underperforms

文法句型

upset + team/player

用法筆記

This is a specialised sense used in sports journalism and commentary. The 'expected loser wins' element is central — if the favourite wins, it is not an upset.

常見錯誤

❌The favourite team upset the underdog.
✅The underdog upset the favourite.
💡the winner must be the less expected side. The word upset implies surprise.

upset — 形容詞

upset — 名詞