upright
Americanadjective
-
erect or vertical, as in position or posture.
- Synonyms:
- vertical, perpendicular, plumb
- Antonyms:
- horizontal, recumbent
-
raised or directed vertically or upward.
-
adhering to rectitude; righteous, honest, or just.
an upright person.
- Synonyms:
- honorable
-
being in accord with what is right.
upright dealings.
noun
-
uprights
plural
adverb
verb (used with object)
adjective
-
vertical or erect
-
honest, honourable, or just
adverb
noun
-
a vertical support, such as a stake or post
-
short for upright piano
-
the state of being vertical
verb
Synonym Usage
Upright, erect, vertical, perpendicular imply that something is in the posture of being straight upward, not leaning. That which is upright is in a position corresponding to that of a person standing up: a decaying tree no longer standing upright; an upright piano. Erect emphasizes the straightness of position or posture: proud and erect; A flagpole stands erect. Vertical suggests upward direction, especially along the shortest line from the earth to a level above it: the vertical edge of a door; ornamented by vertical lines. Perpendicular, a term frequently interchangeable with vertical, is used especially in mathematics: the perpendicular side of a right triangle; to erect a perpendicular line from the base of a figure.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of upright
First recorded before 900; Middle English, Old English upriht (cognate with German aufrecht ); see up, right
Explanation
Something that's upright stands straight up. When you sit upright, your back is straight and vertical. Even your grandmother would approve of your posture. Most cars have seats that can fold forward or lean back, and then snap upright, back into a normal sitting position; and when you're in class, you're usually expected to sit upright, facing your teacher at the front of the room. Another way to use upright is to mean "upstanding" or "trustworthy," so if your friend finds a wallet full of money and returns it to its owner, you can call her an upright citizen.
Vocabulary lists containing upright
"Harbor Me" by Jacqueline Woodson
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The Merchant of Venice
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A Just Cause: Synonyms for "Fair"
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Its engines guided the upright vehicle to the water, according to SpaceX video.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 22, 2026
And because it’s typically done in an upright posture, it’s accessible to those with back or joint pain, arthritis, osteoporosis and vertigo, as it doesn’t require hinging forward.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 18, 2026
More than 60 passengers were on board the commuter-line train but nobody was injured and it remained upright, according to investigators and the East of England Ambulance Service.
From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026
The book’s hero is an upbeat, morally upright counselor named Ben Frost, who activated the boys’ noblest impulses.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 4, 2026
“He’s as upright as the preacher,” said Pa. “Maybe even more so.”
From "The Seven Wonders of Sassafras Springs" by Betty G. Birney
Data experts Opta produce an xGK figure, similar to the xG value attached to shots at goal in football, which assesses the likelihood of a particular kicker splitting the uprights from different distances and angles.
From BBC ● May 6, 2026
It sailed through the uprights to give Chicago a 19-17 win.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 17, 2025
Jefferson darted to his teammates on the field as the ball missed the uprights.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 2, 2024
No mistake from the out-half, splits the uprights.
From BBC ● Apr. 6, 2024
The old man’s feet in their black kid shoes braced against the uprights.
From "The Road" by Cormac McCarthy
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
