Mike got very upset when I told him the news.

[mrwroc]

According to Cambridge Dictionary:
"upset" means "worried, unhappy, or angry"

"worried" and "unhappy" are related, they mean "sad" but "angry" is something completely different.


How can I understand the following sentences from dictionaries?
1. Mike got very upset when I told him the news.
Is he sad or angry?

2. I think she may be a bit upset with you.
Is she sad or angry?

3. He was really upset over not getting the present he wanted from Father Christmas.
Is he sad or angry?

 

[Jemima23]

I think that Cambridge's definition is pretty spot on, it can mean different things, so there's no way to tell for sure without the context.

Not a teacher.

 

[Rover_KE]

I think that Cambridge's definition is pretty spot on. It can mean different things, so there's no way to tell for sure without the context.

Jemima, please read this extract from the forum's Posting Guidelines:

You are welcome to answer questions posted in the Ask a Teacher forum as long as your suggestions, help, and advice reflect a good understanding of the English language. If you are not a teacher, you will need to state that clearly in your post.

 

[mrwroc]

"upset" is so a confusing word

 

[Rover_KE]

"Upset" is such a confusing word. [STRIKE][/STRIKE]

1. In your sentence, the u in 'until' has to be capitalised as it's the first letter.

2. Don't use emojis to replace standard punctuation marks.

 

[Tdol]

Looking at the wider context always helps- if he's shouting, he's angry, but if he's weeping, he's sad. If you only have your sentence, then you know he had a negative emotional reaction. You cannot go further, so don't. Not all human situations meet the standards of dictionary definition perfection. If we need to say more about the emotional distress, we are free to do so. If we don't, precision doesn't really bother us that much.

 

[slevlife]

Jemima23 and Tdol already gave good answers about the ambiguity. Nevertheless, I'll explain how much can be understood about each of your sentences without more context.

According to Cambridge Dictionary: "upset" means "worried, unhappy, or angry"

I would add another definition to the list: agitated.
Probably the most common way to understand "upset," if there is no context or clues from surrounding words, is as a mild version of "angry."

"worried" and "unhappy" are related, they mean "sad" but "angry" is something completely different.

You jumped multiple times from the dictionary's word "unhappy" to your word "sad". They are not the same, since unhappy can mean either "sad" or "not satisfied" (more often, it's the latter). Additionally, "worried" does not mean "sad."

1. Mike got very upset when I told him the news.
Is he sad or angry?

There's not enough context here. It could be any of the definitions. Consider this sentence to mean that Mike had a very negative emotional reaction to the news. This is potentially a very effective description if the author/speaker themselves didn't have more insight. Perhaps they were not able to tell how Mike was feeling, apart from that it was negative.

2. I think she may be a bit upset with you.
Is she sad or angry?

There are a couple clues / bits of context here. For her to be "upset with" or "upset at" someone is a strong hint that she is angry or unhappy (not satisfied) about something the person (you) did. She is not sad. We also have the hint "a bit," making it softer than the strong emotional state of anger. So I would read "upset" here as a blending of the emotions "unhappy" and "angry."

3. He was really upset over not getting the present he wanted from Father Christmas.
Is he sad or angry?

Based on the context, I would guess his emotion is a blend of angry, unhappy (not satisfied), and agitated. We can probably rule out that he is worried or sad.

 

[Tdol]

"upset" is so a confusing word

Try set, which is in the Guinness Book of Records as the word with the most meanings in English- 430 in the Oxford English Dictionary, with a 60,000-word entry. However, some say run will beat it.

 

[Tarheel]

When you are upset you are angrier than than if you are merely irritated. A person who is upset is experiencing a more intense feeling that irritation.

 

[tedmc]

When you are upset you are angrier than [STRIKE]than[/STRIKE] if you are merely irritated. A person who is upset is experiencing a more intense feeling [STRIKE]that [/STRIKE] than irritation.

.

 

[Tdol]

It could be a different feeling. I think these things are context-driven. It could also depend on he reaction of the person- I would be more worried by a violent person who was irritated than a peaceable one who was upset.