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

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Etymology

Origin of upright

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

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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

Trees have a remarkable ability to sense their own shape and adjust their growth to stay upright.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 1, 2026

In fact, the strategy has been so overwhelming for opposing offensive lines that they often have little choice but to commit penalties in order to keep their quarterbacks upright.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 30, 2026

Hynes also gives examples of changes on the recently nationalised Thameslink; investment in better cleaning, improving toilets and replacing unpopular upright "ironing-board" seats.

From BBC ● Oct. 12, 2026

Cardinals kicker Chad Ryland had four field goals and might have had five had his 54-yard attempt in the first half not doinked off the right upright.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 13, 2026

The stairs leading to the door are uneven and rickety, feeding into a porch that has six wicker chairs—five upright, and one kicked over.

From "Kwame Crashes the Underworld" by Craig Kofi Farmer

It didn’t wind up mattering when Ryland’s game-winning field goal sailed through the uprights in overtime.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 2, 2026

Fly-half Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, who had pushed a long-range penalty to the right of the uprights early on, missed a drop-goal shot.

From BBC ● Sep. 12, 2026

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

It sailed through the uprights to give Chicago a 19-17 win.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 17, 2025

It was evident that up to lately there had been a large notice-board in front of the balcony; it had, however, been roughly torn away, the uprights which had supported it still remaining.

From "Dracula" by Bram Stoker

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Related Words

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

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