Upset
/ˌʌpˈsɛt/noun
To disturb, overturn, or make someone emotionally distressed.
Did you know?In early English, to “upset” something meant to overturn it physically, and that concrete sense later expanded into emotional disturbance — a classic example of language turning motion into feeling.
Etymological Timeline
Old English
OE
up + settan
“to put or set up; to place upright”
14th Century
English
upsetten
“to overturn or capsize”
17th–18th Century
English
upset
“to overturn, disturb, or throw into disorder”
19th Century
English
upset
“to distress or emotionally discompose”
Modern English
English
upset
“to disturb, overturn, or make emotionally distressed”