Learn English – Meaning of ‘be upset’, angry or not calm? Maybe evolved after decades

meaning

I've thought for years that when you are upset, it means "you've just heard some unexpected news or something shocking, and as a result, you're not calm and probably you can't judge as correctly as usual." (I think it's a common translation found for the word "慌てた" in Japanese-English dictionaries.)

But I find in many English dictionaries, in paper, or online, it's said to mean "be irritated" or "be angry". Was I wrong, or is my explanation not wrong but a rarer usage?

If it means "be angry", let me ask two more questions.

  1. Has the meaning changed? Older English dictionaries don't tend to explain much in this regards. They only say "disturbing" = "vomitting" or so.
  2. Are there any English word that corresponds to my "old" meaning? "lost calmness" or so?

Best Answer

It is very common to read "be upset" as be meaning "to be bothered" [about something or with someone].

John was upset about the news that his dog was missing.

I hear it used to mean "to be angry" sometimes:

John is upset with you because he thinks you let his dog out.

However, being upset with someone is a very mild form of anger. If John were really annoyed the terms "angry" or "pissed off" would be used. Moreover, I would not consider this to be a translation of 慌てた (awateta) or, in present tense, 慌てる (awateru), which I think would be better construed as meaning to be confused or disconcerted about something. 慌てふためく (awatafutameku) seems a better candidate for "flustered" or "panicked" — that kind of upset.

Moreover, you can be upset about things that you didn't just learn about. You can be upset about things that happen over time.

Marvin has been upset ever since he started that new diet.

Upset comes from the term meaning "knocked over":

In reaching for a fork, Joe upset his champagne glass and spilled its contents all over the table.

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