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.
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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:
It has continued to increase and upgrade its service complexity to narrow gap with peers, while pricing its services 15%-20% below them, the analyst says.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 29, 2026
Many states offer grants, low-interest loans and/or assistance to help seniors upgrade and repair their homes.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 29, 2026
Their aerodynamic upgrade in Hungary improved their chassis performance by in the region of two seconds a lap.
From BBC ● Sep. 29, 2026
Instead, the shift is more likely a permanent one where consumers and companies replace devices at a less-frequent rate, but will pay more when they upgrade.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 29, 2026
“Well, then I’ll have my usual Blazin’ Texan burger, but I’d like to upgrade my side to onion rings.
From "Turtles All the Way Down" by John Green
Meanwhile, Osaka made multiple upgrades to the home.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 30, 2026
But it's too early to judge the Williams upgrades - and Aston Martin provides a clue as to why.
From BBC ● Sep. 29, 2026
But Rossman cautioned that such perks often aren’t enough to justify the fees, and may offer only marginal upgrades from cheaper cards.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 25, 2026
State parks officials said in a release that the improvement project includes installation of new gas, water, wastewater and communication lines, along with accessibility upgrades.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 21, 2026
With all his security upgrades, Thread has paid little attention to the fence, perhaps feeling harsh weather and wild animals are enough to keep everyone safely inside.
From "Catching Fire" by Suzanne Collins
Hapag-Lloyd had upgraded its guidance as recently as July, again citing strong market demand and higher freight rates.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 29, 2026
It also plans to roll out an upgraded security model that encrypts user conversations and data.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 28, 2026
Now the UK's productivity record has been upgraded materially by the Office for National Statistics, although this is because of fewer hours worked.
From BBC ● Sep. 26, 2026
She’s finally been upgraded to a repertory player and is likely to continue to play the lead in sketches featuring her grounded, emotionally shaky characters, some of whom have terrible haircuts.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 24, 2026
Playing The Sims would be way easier if I had an upgraded laptop.
From "What If It's Us" by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera
A bigger price tag encourages customers to keep their old phones and computers longer, only upgrading when they must—or when a new capability is too tempting to ignore.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 23, 2026
The firm's design has been commissioned for use on two of its three planned routes for upgrading the electricity grid across mid and west Wales.
From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2026
Given the years-long time frames needed for construction projects, the district facilities team doesn’t want to delay upgrading facilities that students would immediately benefit from.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 16, 2026
Another obstacle is that upgrading an older data center to newer, less thirsty technology is expensive.
From Barron's ● Sep. 7, 2026
In 1953, Evelyn had become set on upgrading her four- year certificate in general nursing.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
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.
