up-and-down

[ uhp-uhn-doun ]

adjective

1. moving alternately up and down:

   the up-and-down swing of levers; an up-and-down tune.

2. having an uneven surface:

   up-and-down countryside.

3. changeable:

   up-and-down luck.

4. perpendicular or nearly so:

   a straight up-and-down hillside.

up-and-down

adjective

1. moving, executed, or formed alternately upwards and downwards
2. very steep; vertical

adverb

1. backwards and forwards (along)

Other Words From

• up-and-downness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of up-and-down¹

First recorded in 1610–20