upholstery
Americannoun
-
upholsteries
plural
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the materials used to cushion and cover furniture.
-
the business of an upholsterer.
noun
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the padding, covering, etc, of a piece of furniture
-
the business, work, or craft of upholstering
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of upholstery
First recorded in 1640–50; upholster(er) + -y 3
Explanation
Upholstery refers to the covering on furniture. Without upholstery, your couch wouldn't be very comfortable. This is a word specific to furniture, especially the chairs and couches found in most living rooms. Upholstery consists of the material — including springs, padding, and fabric — that cover the bare bones of the furniture you sit on. If you have ever spilled a drink on a couch, someone might have yelled, "Watch out! You'll stain the upholstery!" People who put the upholstery on furniture are called upholsterers.
Vocabulary lists containing upholstery
"The Veldt" by Ray Bradbury
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After the Shot Drops
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The Red Pyramid
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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:
A recent visit revealed peeling paint on the hotel’s facade, worn upholstery on some chairs and a few carpets that had been patched unevenly.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 6, 2026
We start with the unusually fine grade of Nappa leather upholstery.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 6, 2026
In this case, with damage to the interior of the car, insurance companies won’t just pay to repair the upholstery, they will pay to replace the entire seat, which is expensive.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 18, 2026
Jenner chose a similar shade for the upholstery in her home theater, revealing two rows of brown velvet chairs that she described as “yummy” in her caption.
From MarketWatch ● Dec. 30, 2025
Three hours after my flight landed in Peshawar, I was sitting on shredded upholstery in the backseat of a smoke-filled taxicab.
From "The Kite Runner" by Khaled Hosseini
There are no fussy woods or sensitive upholsteries.
From Time Magazine Archive
Textured fabrics and upholsteries in calming, neutral tones complement sleek, dark wood furniture and brushed stainless steel hardware throughout.
From Time Magazine Archive
The Spaniards made leather upholsteries of remarkable designs; they also ornamented boxes, trunks, and cases for knives and costly trinkets.
From Chats on Household Curios by Fred. W. (Frederick William) Burgess
He must set himself against upholsteries and uniforms, against formalities and rituals.
From From a College Window by Arthur Christopher Benson
Old odors laden with memory rushed to meet her; that pungency which, unaccountably enough, reeks of the cold boiled potato, and which old upholsteries, windowless hallways, and frequent meat stews can generate.
From Star-Dust by Fannie Hurst
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.
