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:
The board is now working to upgrade its Zoom account and has yet to set a new date.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 10, 2026
Former Chief Executive Ynon Kreiz, who spearheaded a campaign to upgrade earnings from Mattel’s intellectual properties, just stepped down amid investor disappointment.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 9, 2026
“We think consensus underappreciates the margin accretion effect of the increasing mix of Photonics-SOI,” they say as they upgrade their rating on the stock to buy from neutral.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026
But he says that he will have to take another new engine, as soon as a planned upgrade is ready, to get him to the end of the season.
From BBC ● Oct. 8, 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
Still, upgrades like the Army’s Next-Generation Command and Control system, used for AI-enabled planning and logistics, are a start.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 10, 2026
Fastly rises after Oppenheimer upgrades shares to Outperform, citing anticipated revenue boosts from AI agent traffic and Grand Theft Auto VI.
From Barron's ● Oct. 9, 2026
According to The Real Deal, they included upgrades to the fireplace, a new roof, lighting and electrical updates, and improvements to the heating system.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 7, 2026
The upgrades to 11 existing reactors will provide additional power to the grid that is roughly equivalent to building a new large reactor.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 6, 2026
Somebody e-mailed a few additional MP3s; somebody else sent software and upgrades for Quake and Doom.
From "Geeks: How Two Lost Boys Rode the Internet Out of Idaho" by Jon Katz
In April, the Metropolitan Police Federation, which represents rank-and-file officers, urged officers to be "extremely cautious" about carrying Met-issued devices while off duty after the force upgraded its Lawful Business Monitoring software.
From BBC ● Oct. 10, 2026
Gassiev's recent bouts have been under the IBA's banner and he was upgraded to the WBA's 'super' champion in June after Oleksandr Usyk relinquished the belt.
From BBC ● Oct. 7, 2026
Wells Fargo upgraded Cleveland-Cliffs, saying near-term earnings could beat expectations even as a planned Iowa steel mill raises concerns about future supply.
From Barron's ● Oct. 6, 2026
“Importantly, management has historically proven conservative at the outset of strategic periods, with guidance subsequently upgraded through the cycle,” they add.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 5, 2026
Many wooden huts have been upgraded to small brick or cinder-block homes, some two or even three stories high.
From "Enrique's Journey" by Sonia Nazario
But for now that transformation is complicated by red tape and the high costs of upgrading railway infrastructure.
From Barron's ● Oct. 2, 2026
Keep upgrading your skills and find something about your job that you enjoy.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 2, 2026
Russia has also expanded its diesel production, not by building new refineries but by upgrading existing ones.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 19, 2026
The firm's design has been commissioned for use on two of its three planned routes for upgrading the electricity grid across mid and west Wales.
From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2026
In 1953, Evelyn had become set on upgrading her four- year certificate in general nursing.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
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.
