upright

American  

[uhp-rahyt, uhp-rahyt] / ˈʌpˌraɪt, ʌpˈraɪt /

adjective

1. erect or vertical, as in position or posture.

   Synonyms:

   vertical, perpendicular, plumb

   Antonyms:

   horizontal, recumbent

2. raised or directed vertically or upward.

3. adhering to rectitude; righteous, honest, or just.

   an upright person.

   Synonyms:

   honorable

4. being in accord with what is right.

   upright dealings.

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noun

uprights plural

1. the state of being upright or vertical.

2. something standing erect or vertical, as a piece of timber.

   Synonyms:

   column, pile, pillar, prop, pole

3. an upright piano.

4. Chiefly Football. Usually uprights. the goalposts.

adverb

1. in an upright position or direction; vertically.

verb (used with object)

1. to make upright.

upright British  

/ ˈʌpˌraɪt /

adjective

1. vertical or erect

2. honest, honourable, or just

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adverb

1. vertically

noun

1. a vertical support, such as a stake or post

2. short for upright piano

3. the state of being vertical

verb

1. (tr) to make upright

upright Idioms  

1. see bolt upright.

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Synonym Usage

Upright, erect, vertical, perpendicular imply that something is in the posture of being straight upward, not leaning. That which is upright is in a position corresponding to that of a person standing up: a decaying tree no longer standing upright; an upright piano. Erect emphasizes the straightness of position or posture: proud and erect; A flagpole stands erect. Vertical suggests upward direction, especially along the shortest line from the earth to a level above it: the vertical edge of a door; ornamented by vertical lines. Perpendicular, a term frequently interchangeable with vertical, is used especially in mathematics: the perpendicular side of a right triangle; to erect a perpendicular line from the base of a figure.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonuprightness
  noun
• uprightness
  noun
• nonupright
  adjective
• nonuprightly
  adverb
• uprightly
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• uprights
  plural

Etymology

Origin of upright

First recorded before 900; Middle English, Old English upriht (cognate with German aufrecht ); see up, right

Explanation

Something that's upright stands straight up. When you sit upright, your back is straight and vertical. Even your grandmother would approve of your posture. Most cars have seats that can fold forward or lean back, and then snap upright, back into a normal sitting position; and when you're in class, you're usually expected to sit upright, facing your teacher at the front of the room. Another way to use upright is to mean "upstanding" or "trustworthy," so if your friend finds a wallet full of money and returns it to its owner, you can call her an upright citizen.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

upright uprights

Arrange your dinosaur nuggets upright so they look like they’re standing.

From Salon ● Jun. 28, 2026

Although frostbitten and thoroughly spent, Hillary Dawa could still sit upright and talk to those who found him, before he was airlifted to a hospital in Kathmandu, Nepal's capital.

From BBC ● Jun. 10, 2026

She helps them recognize developmental moments, such as when a child turns a book upright on their own upon realizing it’s upside down, signaling letter recognition.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 8, 2026

His sculpture, in a shade of teal that’s surprisingly regal, spreads across the ground, flaps of steel straining to lift themselves just inches off the surface as a couple plates have effortfully pulled themselves upright.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 29, 2026

He perked upright to watch for her approach but instead found himself whisked into the bright haze of a Recollection.

From "The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest" by Aubrey Hartman

Data experts Opta produce an xGK figure, similar to the xG value attached to shots at goal in football, which assesses the likelihood of a particular kicker splitting the uprights from different distances and angles.

From BBC ● May 6, 2026

The kick duly sailed through the uprights, putting the Seahawks up 18-16—and spoiling Rivers’s return after nearly five years in retirement.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 15, 2025

The obscure rule allows a team to kick immediately after a fair catch and if it goes through the uprights and over the crossbar, it counts as a three-point field goal for the kicking team.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 23, 2024

No mistake from the out-half, splits the uprights.

From BBC ● Apr. 6, 2024

Under the crossbar and between the uprights, like in a framed picture, stood three people.

From "Crash" by Jerry Spinelli

Related Words

• conscientious
• ethical
• impartial
• noble
• principled
• pure
• righteous
• straightforward
• trustworthy
• upstanding
• virtuous