Standard Lemma guide

invert

adj · noun · verb · 17 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˈɪn.vət/
  • General-American: ĭnʹvərt
  • General-American: /ˈɪn.vəɹt/
  • rhymes with -ɪnvə(ɹ)t
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • Received-Pronunciation: /ɪnˈvɜːt/
  • General-American: ĭn-vərtʹ
  • General-American: /ɪnˈvɜɹt/
  • Canada: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -ɜː(ɹ)t
  • CMU ARPABET: IH2 N V ER1 T Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Subjected to the process of inversion; inverted; converted.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

Topics: chemistry, natural-sciences, physical-sciences

Examples

  • invert sugar

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

An inverted arch (as in a sewer).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: architecture

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

The base of a tunnel on which the road or railway may be laid and used when construction is through unstable ground. It may be flat or form a continuous curve with the tunnel arch.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

The lowest point inside a pipe at a certain point.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: civil-engineering, engineering, natural-sciences, physical-sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

An elevation of a pipe at a certain point along the pipe.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: civil-engineering, engineering, natural-sciences, physical-sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

noun

Meaning 6

A skateboarding and snowboarding trick where the skater grabs the board and plants a hand on the coping so as to balance upside-down on the lip of a ramp.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

noun

Meaning 7

A homosexual person, in terms of the sexual inversion theory.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: obsolete

Topics: human-sciences, psychology, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

8

noun

Meaning 8

Of a person, assumed to be transgender, in terms of transvestigation.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: Internet

Qualifier: conspiracy theories

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

9

noun

Meaning 9

An invertebrate.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: informal

Topics: biology, natural-sciences, zoology

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

10

verb

Meaning 10

To turn (something) upside down or inside out; to place in a contrary order or direction; to make (something) the opposite of it.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Examples

  • to invert a cup, the order of words, rules of justice, etc.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

11

verb

Meaning 11

To move (the root note of a chord) up or down an octave, resulting in a change in pitch.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Topics: entertainment, lifestyle, music

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

12

verb

Meaning 12

To undergo inversion, as sugar.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive

Topics: chemistry, natural-sciences, physical-sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

13

verb

Meaning 13

To divert; to convert to a wrong use.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

14

verb

Meaning 14

To turn (the foot) inwards.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: anatomy, medicine, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

15

verb

Meaning 15

turn inside out or upside down

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: turn back, reverse

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: change, alter, modify

16

verb

Meaning 16

reverse the position, order, relation, or condition of

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • when forming a question, invert the subject and the verb

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: reverse

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: reorder

17

verb

Meaning 17

make an inversion (in a musical composition)

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • here the theme is inverted

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: change, alter, modify

History

Etymology

From Middle French invertir.

Abbreviation of invertebrate.

Across languages

Translations

35 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: обърнат свод (obǎrnat svod) — architecture: inverted arch
  • Bulgarian: преобръщам (preobrǎštam) — turn upside down or inside out
  • Catalan: invertir — turn upside down or inside out
  • Chinese Mandarin: 反转 (fǎnzhuǎn) — turn upside down or inside out
  • Chinese Mandarin: 倒转 (dàozhuǎn) — turn upside down or inside out
  • Dutch: omdraaien — turn upside down or inside out
  • Dutch: omkeren — turn upside down or inside out
  • Estonian: pöörama — turn upside down or inside out
  • Finnish: kääntää ylösalaisin — turn upside down or inside out
  • Finnish: kääntää — turn upside down or inside out
  • French: invertir — turn upside down or inside out
  • German: umdrehen — turn upside down or inside out
  • German: invertieren — turn upside down or inside out
  • Hebrew: הָפַך (hafách) — turn upside down or inside out
  • Hungarian: kifordít — turn upside down or inside out
  • Hungarian: felfordít — turn upside down or inside out
  • Hungarian: (swapping) megfordít — turn upside down or inside out
  • Hungarian: invertál — turn upside down or inside out
  • Irish: aisiompaigh — turn upside down or inside out
  • Italian: invertire — turn upside down or inside out
  • Japanese: 反転 (hanten) — turn upside down or inside out
  • Latin: invertō — turn upside down or inside out
  • Māori: huripoki — turn upside down or inside out
  • Māori: huri kōaro — turn upside down or inside out
  • Occitan: invertir — turn upside down or inside out
  • Portuguese: inverter — turn upside down or inside out
  • Russian: переверну́ть (perevernútʹ) — turn upside down or inside out
  • Russian: вы́вернуть (vývernutʹ) — turn upside down or inside out
  • Russian: инверти́ровать (invertírovatʹ) — turn upside down or inside out
  • Slovak: obrátiť — turn upside down or inside out
  • Spanish: invertir — turn upside down or inside out
  • Turkish: terslemek — turn upside down or inside out
  • Welsh: cildroi — turn upside down or inside out
  • Welsh: gwrthdroi — turn upside down or inside out
  • Welsh: gwrthdroi — move (the root note of a chord) up or down an octave