upper

¹ American  

[uhp-er] / ˈʌp ər /

adjective

1. higher, as in place, position, pitch, or in a scale: the upper register of a singer's voice.

   the upper stories of a house;

   the upper register of a singer's voice.

2. superior, as in rank, dignity, or station.

3. (of places) at a higher level, more northerly, or farther from the sea: upper New York State.

   the upper slopes of a mountain;

   upper New York State.

4. Stratigraphy. Often Upper denoting a later division of a period, system, or the like.

   the Upper Devonian.

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noun

1. the part of a shoe or boot above the sole, comprising the quarter, vamp, counter, and lining.

2. an upper berth.

3. a gaiter made of cloth.

4. Usually uppers

   1. an upper dental plate.

   2. an upper tooth.

5. Informal. the higher of two bunks or berths.

idioms

1. on one's uppers, reduced to poverty; without sufficient means.

   They are on their uppers but manage to hide the fact from their friends.

upper ² American  

[uhp-er] / ˈʌp ər /

noun

Slang.

1. a stimulant drug, especially an amphetamine.

2. a pleasant or elating experience, person, or situation.

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upper British  

/ ˈʌpə /

adjective

1. higher or highest in relation to physical position, wealth, rank, status, etc

2. (capital when part of a name) lying farther upstream, inland, or farther north

   the upper valley of the Loire

3. (capital when part of a name) geology archaeol denoting the late part or division of a period, system, formation, etc

   Upper Palaeolithic

4. maths (of a limit or bound) greater than or equal to one or more numbers or variables

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noun

1. the higher of two objects, people, etc

2. the part of a shoe above the sole, covering the upper surface of the foot

3. extremely poor; destitute

4. informal any tooth of the upper jaw

5. Also called (esp US): up.  slang any of various drugs having a stimulant or euphoric effect Compare downer

upper Scientific  

/ ŭp′ər /

1. Being a later or more recent division of the geological or archaeological period named.

2. Compare lower

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upper More Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing upper

• keep a stiff upper lip
• on one's uppers

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Etymology

Origin of upper¹

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English; up (adjective), -er ⁴

Origin of upper²

An Americanism dating back to 1965–70; up + -er ¹

Example Sentences

Pew classified upper income as those earning more than twice the median household income, so more than roughly $200,000 or more for a family of three in 2024.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 5, 2026

Married or cohabitating couples have a better shot at getting into the upper middle class—in part because they often have two incomes, and can split costs and pool their savings.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 5, 2026

Images released by Ukrainian emergency services showed a building whose upper floors were engulfed in flames.

From Barron's • Apr. 4, 2026

The vote on Friday across the upper and lower houses of parliament in the capital Naypyidaw saw Min Aung Hlaing secure a huge margin over the second-place candidate in a three-person race.

From Barron's • Apr. 3, 2026

I stood and wiped the milk off my upper lip.

From Each Little Bird That Sings by Deborah Wiles

Related Words

• uppermost