How to pronounce upset
American English pronunciation
UP-set
- IPA
- /ˈʌpˌsɛt/
- Syllables
- UP · set (2 syllables, stress on the 1st)
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What upset means
Most people know upset in its everyday sense. Here's its other meaning.
A surprise win by the side everyone thought would lose
In a sentence: Our little team beat the champions in the biggest upset of the season.
Where it comes from: It is made of up and set, and long ago it meant to set something up. Later it came to mean to knock over. In this meaning it is said UP-set, with the stress on up.
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