upgrade
Americannoun
-
upgrades
plural
-
an incline going up in the direction of movement.
-
an increase or improvement.
an upgrade in the year's profit forecast.
-
a new version, improved model, etc..
The company is offering an upgrade of its sports sedan.
-
an increase or improvement in one's service, accommodations, privileges, or the like.
If the ship isn't full we'll receive an upgrade to a deluxe stateroom.
-
something, as a piece of equipment, that serves to improve or enhance.
a full range of upgrades available for your computer.
adjective
adverb
verb (used with object)
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upgrades,
present (3rd person singular)
-
upgraded,
past participle, past
-
upgrading
present participle
-
to promote to a higher grade or rank.
He has been upgraded to senior vice president.
-
to improve or enhance the quality or value of.
to upgrade property by landscaping it.
verb (used without object)
-
upgrades,
present (3rd person singular)
-
upgraded,
past participle, past
-
upgrading
present participle
verb
-
to assign or promote (a person or job) to a higher professional rank or position
-
to raise in value, importance, esteem, etc
-
to improve (a breed of livestock) by crossing with a better strain
noun
-
an upward slope
-
improving or progressing, as in importance, status, health, etc
adjective
adverb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
upgradesimple
-
upgradessimple
-
have upgradedperfect
-
has upgradedperfect
-
am upgradingprogressive
-
are upgradingprogressive
-
is upgradingprogressive
-
have been upgradingperfect progressive
-
has been upgradingperfect progressive
Past
-
upgradedsimple
-
had upgradedperfect
-
was upgradingprogressive
-
were upgradingprogressive
-
had been upgradingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of upgrade
Explanation
To upgrade is to make improvements to something or exchange it for a better version. Some people upgrade their phone every time a new model comes out, while others prudently wait to see which new features they really need. Upgrade is also a noun: "I was lucky enough to get an upgrade to the first-class section of the plane!" Whether a noun or a verb, this word commonly used to refer to electronic equipment, particularly computers and smartphones. If a company upgrades the network in their offices, they purchase new computers or improve internet connection speeds. The original meaning of the noun upgrade was "sloping up," as in a steep hill.
Vocabulary lists containing upgrade
This Week in Words: Current Events Vocab for August 14–August 20, 2021
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This Week in Words: Current Events Vocab for December 1–December 7, 2024
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Vocabulary from Readings 2, Unit 3
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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:
The company recently announced a major upgrade to Siri that could integrate AI more closely into the lives of Apple customers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026
A spokesperson said: "This includes making almost £1.95bn available for fire services in England, and investing nearly £100m in the biggest upgrade to national resilience in almost 20 years."
From BBC ● Aug. 12, 2026
They say that the quality of the users being added remains strong, which is positive for earnings given the dual-listed company’s ability to persuade users of its free product to upgrade to paid subscriptions.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026
We don’t live lavishly, and sometimes we both think maybe we could upgrade a few things, but we’re also pretty content.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 11, 2026
It was a significant upgrade over my last job—spinning the daily special sign at one of those take-it-and-bake-it pizza places—and it would look good on my resume.
From "Darius the Great Is Not Okay" by Adib Khorram
American Airlines is getting stingier with upgrades to business class.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026
Other upgrades to the park are also in the works, including an iron fence that would encircle the green space.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026
But major upgrades are also planned across Britain, including areas north of London, as well as East Anglia, the Midlands, and North Wales.
From BBC ● Aug. 11, 2026
Saved capital will fund upgrades including store remodels, expanded final mile deliveries handled in-house and self-service pet-washes.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 10, 2026
The more money you have, the more upgrades you can buy.
From "Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood" by Trevor Noah
The Danish shipping company upgraded its full-year guidance after both underlying Ebitda and Ebitda in the oceans unit came in ahead of expectations, the analysts say.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026
Dawn Ranch, dramatically upgraded in 2023, is a 22-acre, all-ages property that once held the Fife’s resort.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026
Introducing a finder tag, an upgraded watch that checks for respiratory problems and the latest artificial intelligence superpowers in smartphones, Google on Wednesday will unveil its newest Pixel offerings.
From Barron's ● Aug. 12, 2026
The upgraded commercial net interest income guidance reflects continuing earnings momentum with higher forward rates, volume growth and strong clearing net interest income, RBC says.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026
He could be upgraded in the Nurturing Center, Father said happily, now that he slept; he could be officially named and given to his family in December, which was only two months away.
From "The Giver" by Lois Lowry
"After upgrading the memory, I found it ran really smoothly, and I stopped wanting to buy a new computer," he told AFP.
From Barron's ● Aug. 2, 2026
John Mozeliak’s first foray into upgrading the Angels is off to a rocky start.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 1, 2026
That’s in part because people who have rock-bottom interest rates on their home loans are reluctant to give them up, so instead of moving to another home, they’re upgrading the one they have.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 1, 2026
Schneider Electric jumps 6.8% after upgrading its full-year targets, while French luxuries also strengthen.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 30, 2026
In the nylon webbing pocket in front of him was an in-flight magazine with an article in it about camels, which he’d read, and another about upgrading your business wardrobe, which he hadn’t.
From "Cat's Eye" by Margaret Atwood
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.
