uphill

American  

[uhp-hil, uhp-hil] / ˈʌpˈhɪl, ˈʌpˌhɪl /

adverb

1. up or as if up the slope of a hill or other incline; upward.

   The soldiers marched uphill. Water does not run uphill without assistance.

---

adjective

1. going or tending upward on or as if on a hill.

   an uphill road.

2. at a high place or point.

   an uphill village.

3. laboriously fatiguing or difficult.

   an uphill struggle to become wealthy.

   Synonyms:

   grueling, taxing, strenuous, hard, arduous

noun

1. a rising terrain; ascent.

uphill British  

/ ˈʌpˈhɪl /

adjective

1. inclining, sloping, or leading upwards

2. requiring arduous and protracted effort

   an uphill task

---

adverb

1. up an incline or slope; upwards

2. against difficulties

noun

1. a rising incline; ascent

Etymology

Origin of uphill

First recorded in 1540–50; up- + hill

Example Sentences

Talks face an uphill battle in resolving the vast differences in the warring sides' positions.

From Barron's • Apr. 10, 2026

Turn right, as the map tells you to do, and you’ll encounter decaying sidewalks, with cracked and buckled concrete that turns a modest uphill walk into an obstacle course.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 25, 2026

And even though they face an uphill climb against a Big Ten program, there’s a lot to like.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 18, 2026

It also revealed that Pine Island Glacier once moved very differently, pulling rocks from its base and carrying them uphill when the ice sheet was much thicker.

From Science Daily • Mar. 18, 2026

I strode slightly uphill past five houses and St. James United Methodist Church, where we worshipped, to the corner of Barton Road.

From "Reaching for the Moon" by Katherine Johnson

Related Words

• arduous
• exhausting
• grueling
• punishing
• strenuous