capsize

C3A1P3S1I1Z10E1
US/ˈkæpsaɪz/UK/kæpˈsaɪz/

verb

To overturn.

Similar
upsetkeel overturn turtleturtle
UncommonScrabble 20
Ask AI about this wordChatGPTClaudePerplexityGoogle AIGrok

Meanings

verbcapsize (third-person singular simple present capsizes, present participle capsizing, simple past and past participle capsized)

present singular third person capsizes · participle present capsizing · participle past capsized · past capsized · alternative nonstandard capsise

  1. intransitivenauticalTo overturn.

    Baby, I think I'm capsizing / The waves are rising and rising

    1982, “Sexual Healing”, performed by Marvin Gaye

    Synonyms: upset, keel over, turn turtle

  2. transitivenauticalTo cause (a ship) to overturn.

    But what if carrying sail capsize the boat?

    1819–1824, [Lord Byron], Don Juan, London, (please specify |canto=I to XVII)
  3. intransitiveTo deform under stress.

    There are even cases where a totally different knot may result when carelessly pulled. Tie the Granny Knot around any object and pull one end, and it will capsize into Two Half Hitches.

    1944, Clifford Warren Ashley, The Ashley Book of Knots, page 19
nouncapsize (plural capsizes)

plural capsizes · alternative nonstandard capsise

  1. The act of, or occurrence of capsizing or overturning.

Synonyms & antonyms

verbTo overturn.

Similar
upsetkeel overturn turtle

More synonyms by meaning

verboverturn accidentally

Similar
turtleturn turtle
Broader
overturnturn overtip over
Also see
turn turtleturtle

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

Attested since 1788. Origin unknown. Possibly related to Spanish chapuzar (“to sink by the head”).

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Ancient Greek ἀνατρέπω
  • ἀνατρέπω (anatrépō)(transitive) to cause to overturn
Bulgarian прекатурвам се, преобръщам се
  • прекатурвам се (prekaturvam se)(intransitive) to overturn
  • преобръщам се (preobrăštam se)(intransitive) to overturn
  • прекатурвам (prekaturvam)(transitive) to cause to overturn
  • преобръщам (preobrăštam)(transitive) to cause to overturn
Catalan sotsobrar
  • sotsobrar(intransitive) to overturn
Chinese Mandarin 傾覆 /倾覆, 翻
  • 傾覆 /倾覆 (qīngfù)(intransitive) to overturn
  • 翻 (fān)(intransitive) to overturn
  • 翻覆 (fānfù)(intransitive) to overturn
  • 使傾覆 /使倾覆 (shǐ qīngfù)(transitive) to cause to overturn
Danish kuldsejle, kæntre
  • kuldsejle(intransitive) to overturn
  • kæntre(intransitive) to overturn
Dutch kapseizen, doen kapseizen
  • kapseizen(intransitive) to overturn
  • doen kapseizen(transitive) to cause to overturn
Finnish kaatua, kaataa
  • kaatua(intransitive) to overturn
  • kaataa(transitive) to cause to overturn
French chavirer, faire chavirer
  • chavirer(intransitive) to overturn
  • faire chavirer(transitive) to cause to overturn
  • chavirer(transitive) to cause to overturn
German kentern, zum Kentern bringen
  • kentern(intransitive) to overturn
  • zum Kentern bringen(transitive) to cause to overturn
Hebrew הָפַךְ
  • הָפַךְ (hafakh)(transitive) to cause to overturn
Hungarian felborul, felfordul
  • felborul(intransitive) to overturn
  • felfordul(intransitive) to overturn
  • felborít(transitive) to cause to overturn
  • felfordít(transitive) to cause to overturn
Icelandic kollsigla
  • kollsigla(intransitive) to overturn
Irish iompaigh béal faoi
  • iompaigh béal faoi(intransitive) to overturn
Italian capovolgersi, ribaltarsi
  • capovolgersi(intransitive) to overturn
  • ribaltarsi(intransitive) to overturn
  • rovesciarsi(intransitive) to overturn
  • ribaltare(transitive) to cause to overturn
  • capovolgere(transitive) to cause to overturn
Japanese 転覆する, 覆る
  • 転覆する (tenpuku suru)(intransitive) to overturn
  • 覆る (kutsugaeru)(intransitive) to overturn
  • 転覆させる (tenpuku saseru)(transitive) to cause to overturn
Korean 뒤집다, 뒤집히다
  • 뒤집다 (dwijipda)(intransitive) to overturn
  • 뒤집히다 (dwijiphida)(transitive) to cause to overturn
Māori hurirapa, tahuri
  • hurirapa(intransitive) to overturn
  • tahuri(intransitive) to overturn
  • tūpoki(intransitive) to overturn
  • huripokingaThe act or occurrence of overturning or capsizing
  • hurirapangaThe act or occurrence of overturning or capsizing
Norwegian kantre
  • kantre(intransitive) to overturn
Norwegian Bokmål kollseile
  • kollseile(intransitive) to overturn
Polish wywracać się, wywrócić się
  • wywracać się(intransitive) to overturn
  • wywrócić się(intransitive) to overturn
  • przewracać się(intransitive) to overturn
  • przewrócić się(intransitive) to overturn
  • wywracać(transitive) to cause to overturn
  • wywrócić(transitive) to cause to overturn
  • przewracać(transitive) to cause to overturn
  • przewrócić(transitive) to cause to overturn
  • wywrócenieThe act or occurrence of overturning or capsizing
Portuguese soçobrar, soçobrar
  • soçobrar(intransitive) to overturn
  • soçobrar(transitive) to cause to overturn
Romanian răsturna
  • răsturna(intransitive) to overturn
Russian опроки́дываться, опроки́нуться
  • опроки́дываться (oprokídyvatʹsja)(intransitive) to overturn
  • опроки́нуться (oprokínutʹsja)(intransitive) to overturn
  • перевора́чиваться (perevoráčivatʹsja)(intransitive) to overturn
  • переверну́ться (perevernútʹsja)(intransitive) to overturn
  • опроки́дывать (oprokídyvatʹ)(transitive) to cause to overturn
  • опроки́нуть (oprokínutʹ)(transitive) to cause to overturn
  • перевора́чивать (perevoráčivatʹ)(transitive) to cause to overturn
  • переверну́ть (perevernútʹ)(transitive) to cause to overturn
Scottish Gaelic cuir thairis
  • cuir thairis(transitive) to cause to overturn
Spanish zozobrar, volcar
  • zozobrar(intransitive) to overturn
  • volcar(intransitive) to overturn
  • hacer volcar(transitive) to cause to overturn
  • zozobrar(transitive) to cause to overturn
Swedish kapsejsa
  • kapsejsa(intransitive) to overturn
Thai อับปาง
  • อับปาง (àp-bpaang)(intransitive) to overturn
Turkish devirmek
  • devirmek(intransitive) to overturn
Vietnamese lật
  • lật(intransitive) to overturn
Welsh troi
  • troi(intransitive) to overturn

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with capsize

sizesuppliesexerciseguysriseprizeliessurprisewisetiesariseadvisediesbuyscompromisefliesauthorizerevisecomprisefriesexcisepiesdyesdemise
All rhymes →
Cite this entry
APA

capsize. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/capsize

MLA

“capsize.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/capsize. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “capsize,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/capsize.

Source: capsize on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.