1.
upset, unexpected result, surprise outcome
An outcome that defies expectations, especially in competitions or sports where the expected winner loses.
大きな番狂わせが起きた。
A big upset occurred.
優勝候補が初戦で負けるという番狂わせがあった。
There was an upset where the tournament favorite lost in the first round.
今大会は番狂わせが多く、予想が難しかった。
This tournament had many upsets, making predictions difficult.
ETYMOLOGY:
From 番 (order, ranking) + 狂わせ (causing to go wrong), literally "disrupting the expected order of rankings."
USAGE:
Primarily used in sports, competitions, elections, and other contexts where outcomes are predicted. The word emphasizes that the result contradicts what was expected.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 番狂わせが起きる: an upset occurs
- 大きな番狂わせ: a major upset
- 番狂わせを演じる: to pull off an upset