Stravolgere

Stravolgere is an Italian transitive verb that denotes turning something upside down or completely altering it. It can refer to a physical overturning, such as flipping an object, as well as to radical changes in plans, situations, interpretations, or systems. In both senses, stravolgere implies a thorough, often abrupt, deviation from what existed before.

Etymology and form: the verb is formed from volgere, with the prefix str- used to intensify the action. The past participle is stravolto, and the verb typically takes avere as its auxiliary in compound tenses (ho stravolto, hai stravolto, ha stravolto, etc.). It belongs to the regular -ere conjugation pattern, with the present indicative starting from stravolg- (stravolgo, stravolgi, stravolge, stravolgiamo, stravolge-te, stravolgono).

Usage notes: stravolgere is versatile and common in journalism, politics, literature, and everyday speech. It often conveys a sense of upheaval or a decisive break with the previous state, rather than a minor adjustment. Typical collocations include stravolgere i piani, stravolgere la realtà, stravolgere una tesi, stravolgere una situazione. While frequently neutral or descriptive, the term can carry a negative connotation when implying harmful or excessive disruption.

See also: volgere, sconvolgere, ribaltare, distorcere. It contrasts with termini that suggest moderate change rather than complete upheaval.

Examples: "Il nuovo accordo stravolge i patti originali." "Avevamo un piano, ma l’evento ha stravolto tutto." "La riforma ha stravolto l’assetto della scuola."