upholstery
Americannoun
-
the materials used to cushion and cover furniture.
-
the business of an upholsterer.
noun
-
the padding, covering, etc, of a piece of furniture
-
the business, work, or craft of upholstering
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of upholstery
First recorded in 1640–50; upholster(er) + -y 3
Explanation
Upholstery refers to the covering on furniture. Without upholstery, your couch wouldn't be very comfortable. This is a word specific to furniture, especially the chairs and couches found in most living rooms. Upholstery consists of the material — including springs, padding, and fabric — that cover the bare bones of the furniture you sit on. If you have ever spilled a drink on a couch, someone might have yelled, "Watch out! You'll stain the upholstery!" People who put the upholstery on furniture are called upholsterers.
Vocabulary lists containing upholstery
"The Veldt" by Ray Bradbury
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After the Shot Drops
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The Red Pyramid
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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.
The residential market has been dominated for years by cream-colored upholstery, but retailers are now asking for more vibrant colors and patterns—a time-tested signal, she said, that more optimistic days are ahead.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 23, 2026
This could be achieved with upholstery that shows the company cares that you’re there.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 5, 2026
Jenner chose a similar shade for the upholstery in her home theater, revealing two rows of brown velvet chairs that she described as “yummy” in her caption.
From MarketWatch • Dec. 30, 2025
“The pink silks, bronze golds and the upholstery, it all suits Glinda. And the bubble becomes a hot-air balloon — the Wizard’s technology.”
From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 24, 2025
He had his own furniture there, brought out from the country house, but he’d chosen it carelessly and it was an atrocious mix of styles, upholstery, light and dark woods.
From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt
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.
