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; see origin at up (adjective), -er ⁴

Origin of upper²

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

Explanation

Use the adjective upper to describe something that's the highest or top in position or rank. Your upper arm is above your lower arm, and the upper bunk on your bunkbed is closest to the ceiling. Upper is useful for talking about anything that's located above something else. You might ski on a mountain's upper slope, taking the ski lift up as high as it goes, or become an astronaut so you can travel through the Earth's upper (or most remote) atmosphere. As a noun, an upper is the part of a shoe that's above the sole. And if you have the upper hand, it means you've got an advantage over someone else.

Example Sentences

Senate parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough, who has acted as a referee in the upper chamber of US Congress since 2012, deemed the provision out of order on Saturday, Democrats said.

From BBC • May 17, 2026

But the 2-year yield’s move above the Fed’s 3.7% upper limit of its target funding range is particularly noteworthy, as the below chart shows.

From MarketWatch • May 14, 2026

More rainfall means more freshwater entering the upper layers of the ocean.

From Science Daily • May 14, 2026

It’s the season for new stock-market price targets, and Morgan Stanley joined the upper echelon of Wall Street targets for the S&P 500 with its new outlook released Wednesday.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 13, 2026

Not far away, at the upper end of an old slough, the cool, clear water of a spring gushed out from under the roots of a huge gum tree.

From "Summer of the Monkeys" by Wilson Rawls

Related Words

• uppermost