upgrade
Americannoun
-
upgrades
plural
-
an incline going up in the direction of movement.
-
an increase or improvement.
an upgrade in the year's profit forecast.
-
a new version, improved model, etc..
The company is offering an upgrade of its sports sedan.
-
an increase or improvement in one's service, accommodations, privileges, or the like.
If the ship isn't full we'll receive an upgrade to a deluxe stateroom.
-
something, as a piece of equipment, that serves to improve or enhance.
a full range of upgrades available for your computer.
adjective
adverb
verb (used with object)
-
upgrades,
present (3rd person singular)
-
upgraded,
past participle, past
-
upgrading
present participle
-
to promote to a higher grade or rank.
He has been upgraded to senior vice president.
-
to improve or enhance the quality or value of.
to upgrade property by landscaping it.
verb (used without object)
-
upgrades,
present (3rd person singular)
-
upgraded,
past participle, past
-
upgrading
present participle
verb
-
to assign or promote (a person or job) to a higher professional rank or position
-
to raise in value, importance, esteem, etc
-
to improve (a breed of livestock) by crossing with a better strain
noun
-
an upward slope
-
improving or progressing, as in importance, status, health, etc
adjective
adverb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
upgradesimple
-
upgradessimple
-
have upgradedperfect
-
has upgradedperfect
-
am upgradingprogressive
-
are upgradingprogressive
-
is upgradingprogressive
-
have been upgradingperfect progressive
-
has been upgradingperfect progressive
Past
-
upgradedsimple
-
had upgradedperfect
-
was upgradingprogressive
-
were upgradingprogressive
-
had been upgradingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of upgrade
Explanation
To upgrade is to make improvements to something or exchange it for a better version. Some people upgrade their phone every time a new model comes out, while others prudently wait to see which new features they really need. Upgrade is also a noun: "I was lucky enough to get an upgrade to the first-class section of the plane!" Whether a noun or a verb, this word commonly used to refer to electronic equipment, particularly computers and smartphones. If a company upgrades the network in their offices, they purchase new computers or improve internet connection speeds. The original meaning of the noun upgrade was "sloping up," as in a steep hill.
Vocabulary lists containing upgrade
This Week in Words: Current Events Vocab for August 14–August 20, 2021
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This Week in Words: Current Events Vocab for December 1–December 7, 2024
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Vocabulary from Readings 2, Unit 3
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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:
In September, executives announced what they said would be the company’s biggest menu upgrade ever, with new chicken sandwiches, wings and wraps, hand-breaded chicken, fresher coffee and larger burgers.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 4, 2026
Last year, issues with an IT upgrade hit product availability at the supermarket and dented sales, impacting its bottom line.
From BBC ● Nov. 3, 2026
The upgrade is expected to extend the operating lives of Voyager 1's remaining scientific instruments, allowing the spacecraft to continue collecting valuable information from interstellar space longer than previously expected.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 3, 2026
“The risk-reward is now in favor of tech again and we upgrade it back to overweight,” Deutsche Bank says.
From Barron's ● Nov. 2, 2026
“I don’t think I’d want to get an upgrade, or whatever you call it,” Michael said.
From "The First State of Being" by Erin Entrada Kelly
Analyst Andrei Stadnik tells clients in a note that he doesn’t expect large upgrades to consensus forecasts following the beat, pointing to tax timing issues and a moderated outlook at its Macquarie Capital unit.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 6, 2026
TfW, who took over the running of the £5bn Wales and Borders franchise during Covid, say their south Wales valleys upgrades have been "quick".
From BBC ● Nov. 4, 2026
Bloom Energy stock is the best-performing component in the S&P 500 as Barclays upgrades shares of the AI energy supply company.
From Barron's ● Nov. 3, 2026
The Kennedy Center’s board of trustees on Thursday voted to move forward with President Trump’s plan to close the building for renovations and to inscribe his name on the building to commemorate the upgrades.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 3, 2026
Newer, faster, or more versatile components were always being released, so I was constantly spending large chunks of my meager income on upgrades.
From "Ready Player One: A Novel" by Ernest Cline
As analysts aggressively upgraded their earnings forecasts, hot tech stocks and other names tied to the AI bottleneck trade struggled to keep up.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 5, 2026
Rules changes drastically accelerated the pace and upgraded the viewing experience.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 29, 2026
Mercedes went to Austin with both cars in the new upgraded specification that had proved unconvincing, to say the least, when it made its debut in Malaysia two races ago.
From BBC ● Oct. 26, 2026
In their latest research, the scientists tested the upgraded microscope using six different samples that varied in size and preparation method.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 22, 2026
“There is no need for that. Place her back in the pod. With the upgraded download”—she leans over Suma’s pod screen—“Suma Agarwal will be Zeta-2 for the rest of her life.”
From "The Last Cuentista" by Donna Barba Higuera
The U.S. has recently been upgrading and extending its array of precision deep-strike missiles, including Tomahawk cruise missiles and Atacms rockets, while developing new systems.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 3, 2026
The remaining portion would be allocated to upgrading local water, wastewater and electrical infrastructure.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 30, 2026
The city has been upgrading segments of seawalls over the years to reduce seawater overtopping, but much of its harbor-front property remains under threat.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 27, 2026
Other planned investments include spending on Amazon Leo, which aims to provide high-speed internet via a network of satellites, and upgrading the company's retail and logistics warehouses to use more robotics.
From Barron's ● Oct. 20, 2026
Somebody else takes care of the upgrading and maintenance.
From "The World Is Flat" by Thomas L. Friedman
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
