Dictionary.com
definitions

upper

1
[uhp-er]
|
SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR upper ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

noun

RELATED CONTENT

upper crustFind new words to share every day with Dictionary.com's Word of the Day. Discover the definition, pronunciation, and origin of uncommon words plus more!
READ MORE
What are the hardest words to translate into English? “Hyggelig” is just one on our listThere’s a running debate among translators about what word is hardest to translate. Obviously, the challenges vary from language to language, with languages that have less in common creating more elusive word to word translations. Let’s acknowledge that determining the hardest word to translate is more of a game than any sort of realistic exercise. That said, here are a few contenders that make the …
READ MORE

RELATED WORDS

bankrupt, beggarly, broke, destitute, down-and-out, flat, impecunious, impoverished, indigent, insolvent, low, meager, needy, penniless, penurious, poverty-stricken, reduced, scanty, strapped, suffering

Idioms

    on one's uppers, Informal. reduced to poverty; without sufficient means: They are on their uppers but manage to hide the fact from their friends.

Origin of upper

1
1300–50; Middle English; see up (adj.), -er4
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
British Dictionary definitions for on one's uppers

upper

adjective

higher or highest in relation to physical position, wealth, rank, status, etc
(capital when part of a name) lying farther upstream, inland, or farther norththe upper valley of the Loire
(capital when part of a name) geology archaeol denoting the late part or division of a period, system, formation, etcUpper Palaeolithic
maths (of a limit or bound) greater than or equal to one or more numbers or variables

noun

the higher of two objects, people, etc
the part of a shoe above the sole, covering the upper surface of the foot
on one's uppers extremely poor; destitute
informal any tooth of the upper jaw
Also called (esp US): up slang any of various drugs having a stimulant or euphoric effectCompare downer
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Word Origin and History for on one's uppers

upper

adj.

c.1300, originally comparative of up. Cf. Middle Dutch upper, Dutch opper, Low German upper, Norwegian yppare. Noun meaning "part of a shoe above the sole" is recorded from 1789; sense of "stimulant drug" is from 1968. Upper crust is attested from mid-15c. in reference to the top crust of a loaf of bread, 1836 in reference to society. The pugilistic uppercut is first recorded 1842. Upper hand "advantage" is late 15c., probably from wrestling. Upperclassman is recorded from 1871. Upper middle class (adj.) is first recorded 1872.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Science definitions for on one's uppers

upper

[ŭp′ər]

Being a later or more recent division of the geological or archaeological period named. Compare lower.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Idioms and Phrases with on one's uppers

on one's uppers

Poor, in reduced circumstances, as in as in The Smiths try to hide the fact that they're on their uppers. First recorded in 1886, this metaphoric term alludes to having worn out the soles of one's shoes so badly that only the top portions remain.

upper

In addition to the idioms beginning with upper

  • upper crust
  • upper hand
  • upper story

also see:

  • keep a stiff upper lip
  • on one's uppers
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.