Playing with words that have prefixes of UP- or DOWN-

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It’s fun to play with pairs of words that have opposite prefixes like up- and down-. They could be the subject for a humorous Toastmasters speech.

 

We can easily come up with a half dozen pairs: updraft/downdraft, upgrade/downgrade, upload/download, upright/downright, upstairs/downstairs, and upwind/downwind. One, Upstairs, Downstairs even was the title for a British television series starting in 1971 and a BBC remake almost three decades later.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As shown above in a table, one member of a pair may be missing. You can upholster but not downholster. Something can be uplifted but not downlifted. There can be a downpour of rain, but not an uppour. There can be an upstart but not a downstart. You can be downtrodden, but not uptrodden.

 

On April 20, 2018 I blogged about Playing with words: PRO or CON? and on February 12, 2021 I blogged about Playing with words: PRE- or POST-.