upkeep
Americannoun
-
the process or activity of providing an establishment, machine, person, etc., with necessary or proper maintenance, repairs, support, or the like.
The machine's faulty operation shows that no one has attended to its upkeep.
-
the total sum of the costs or expenses for this.
noun
-
the act or process of keeping something in good repair, esp over a long period; maintenance
-
the cost of maintenance
Etymology
Origin of upkeep
Explanation
Upkeep is the process of caring for something so that it keeps working. Changing your car's oil every 5,000 miles is an important part of its upkeep. An actor's monthly visits to the salon for highlights show how much he cares about his hair's upkeep, while a city manager's focus might be on the upkeep of roads and bridges. In either case, there's a kind of maintenance or care involved. Sometimes this noun describes something closer to "financial support," like when a divorcing couple argues about who's responsible for the upkeep of their seven poodles.
Vocabulary lists containing upkeep
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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.
Rayo fans blame owner and president Raul Martin Presa, who has long been criticised for the poor upkeep of facilities and a failure to modernise the club.
From BBC ● Oct. 10, 2026
Proponents of the measure say Los Angeles is falling short in providing basic services, including street and sidewalk maintenance, upkeep of streetlights and trees and other services administered by the Department of Public Works.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026
Fighter jets deployed in combat can require more upkeep than those flown in peacetime, and a shortage of specific components may also contribute to delays.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 29, 2026
And what kind of upkeep is required inside and outside of the home?
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 3, 2026
He pointed out the injustice of this policy, since the upkeep of the beaches comes from a gasoline tax.
From "Black Like Me" by John Howard Griffin
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
