make upset

Meanings

1. 1phrasetransitive

   to cause someone to feel unhappy or worried

   Grammar: Takes an object between make and upset: make someone upset. The object can be a noun or pronoun.

   Patterns

   • make someone upset
   • make me upset
   • make someone upset about something

   The bad news made her upset.

   His constant criticism made me upset.

   Don't make your mother upset by forgetting her birthday.

2. 2phrasetransitive

   to cause someone to feel annoyed or angry

   Grammar: Similar to the first sense but focuses on anger rather than sadness. Often used with 'by' to show the cause.

   Patterns

   • make someone upset by doing something
   • make someone upset with someone

   She made him upset by arriving late again.

   The referee's decision made the players upset.

Common combinations

make someone upset

The constant noise made the neighbors upset.

make someone upset about something

He made his parents upset about his poor grades.

make someone upset by doing something

She made her friend upset by cancelling at the last minute.

make someone upset with someone

Don't make me upset with you over such a small thing.

Synonyms and how they differ

upset

As a verb, 'upset' means to make someone unhappy, but it is more direct and often used in formal writing: 'The news upset her.'

distress

Stronger and more formal than 'make upset'; it suggests serious emotional pain.

annoy

Focuses on mild anger rather than sadness; 'make upset' can mean either, depending on context.

Opposites

Commonly confused: make upset or upset (adjective)?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “make upset”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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