ups and downs

plural noun

1. rises and falls of fortune; good and bad times:

   Every business has its ups and downs.

ups and downs

plural noun

1. alternating periods of good and bad fortune, high and low spirits, etc

Word History and Origins

Origin of ups and downs¹

First recorded in 1650–60

Idioms and Phrases

Good times and bad times, successes and failures, as in We've had our ups and downs but things are going fairly well now . This term was first recorded in 1659.

Example Sentences

“Then she went again the next day. She liked it a lot. I discussed this film, all the layers and contexts, with her over many, many years. She was happy that, regardless of all the ups and downs, that it finally came together.”

From Los Angeles Times

As Peggy, she weathered the ups and downs of life in Ambridge, with plot lines including alcoholism, gambling, and dementia, until Spencer’s retirement in 2022 at the age of 103.

From BBC

Peggy Woolley, formerly Archer, was often viewed as a traditionalist, conservative character in the soap opera charting the ups and downs of life in fictional village of Ambridge.

From BBC

Pregame, Redick said the ups and downs of the NBA season and the problems that emerge present exciting problems to solve.

From Los Angeles Times

The pop star’s shocking death placed a tragic spotlight on the ups and downs of the One Direction member who struggled most acutely to chart a post-boy-band course, and renewed age-old questions about how to support troubled young artists caught in the crucible of modern fame — as well as hold them accountable.

From Los Angeles Times