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)
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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.
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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:
Boeing was awarded a contract to maintain and upgrade its F-15 fighter jets.
From Barron's ● Aug. 26, 2026
By making it easier to upgrade lignin and convert it into higher-value products, the research could support a broader shift away from traditional linear petroleum-derived chemical production and toward a more circular, biomass-based economy.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 25, 2026
A winger and a striker who can improve us will be a drastic upgrade.
From BBC ● Aug. 25, 2026
The proceeds will be used to upgrade production lines and develop next-generation storage products.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 24, 2026
Today he’d removed it from the control panel and shut down Festus the figurehead for maintenance—something about rewiring his processor for a motor-control upgrade with the sphere, whatever the heck that meant.
From "The House of Hades" by Rick Riordan
Demand for its extended-range EVs has softened as some buyers held off purchases ahead of model upgrades, while its push into the battery EV market hasn’t had the same traction.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 26, 2026
But it's striking, for example, that Mercedes have also deployed fewer upgrades than Aston Martin, Alpine, Racing Bulls, Audi and Cadillac.
From BBC ● Aug. 25, 2026
The company’s CEO Bob Wright told The Wall Street Journal’s Heather Haddon that the chain is rolling out a five-point strategy tackling food quality and value, operations, store upgrades, marketing and digital sales.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 25, 2026
He pointed to the exceptional sports facility upgrades Long Beach City College has already executed, including its pool and beach volleyball courts.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 23, 2026
“That’s what my mom calls it when people carry a lot of worries and anxieties—a weighted mind. Because it can feel heavy. Some people get upgrades for it where I’m from.”
From "The First State of Being" by Erin Entrada Kelly
First-class seats would also receive upgraded seat cushions, while seat-back tables would be installed on the 70 trains that do not currently have them, GTR added.
From BBC ● Aug. 26, 2026
Almost 88 percent said they had upgraded efforts to help workers cope with the heat.
From Barron's ● Aug. 25, 2026
The project also includes the restoration of the theater’s historic Art Deco features and auditorium ceiling mural, along with upgraded audio, visual and lighting systems as well as a broadcast room.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 24, 2026
The upgraded ticket was the very last row, at the complete opposite end from the stage.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 22, 2026
I did the ordering and the inventory and he upgraded the accounting system, brought in new electric cash registers, streamlined the vendors—modernized it.
From "Orphan Train" by Christina Baker Kline
Washington has committed more than $300 million to upgrading these bases with new hangars, better runways and more storage.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026
It also agreed to give homeowners extra time to comply with more onerous requirements, such as upgrading or replacing wooden fences and sheds.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 19, 2026
The only exception was 2021, when the pandemic resulted in millions of people working from home and upgrading their home offices.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 15, 2026
UK Energy Minister Michael Shanks said upgrading the grid is "a vital part of how we deliver secure, homegrown energy and unlock economic growth across the country."
From BBC ● Aug. 11, 2026
In the nylon webbing pocket in front of him was an in-flight magazine with an article in it about camels, which he’d read, and another about upgrading your business wardrobe, which he hadn’t.
From "Cat's Eye" by Margaret Atwood
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.
