upscale
Americanadjective
-
located at, moving toward, or of or for the upper end of a social or economic scale.
The boutique caters to upscale young career people.
-
luxurious, costly, or elegant.
verb (used with object)
noun
adjective
verb
Etymology
Origin of upscale
Explanation
Things that are upscale are made for rich people — they are high class, well made, or just plain pricey. If your friend takes you to a fancy, expensive restaurant for your birthday, you can describe it using the word upscale. Upscale neighborhoods are full of lovely, high-priced homes, and upscale vacations might involve yachts, exotic beaches, and private planes. Upscale is the opposite of downscale, which you could use to describe a run-down motel or a grubby, cheap diner. Both adjectives first came into use in the mid-1960s.
Vocabulary lists containing upscale
A Wealth Of Words: Synonyms for "Rich"
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Outcasts United
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The Parker Inheritance
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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:
From the polished marble floors and chef’s kitchen to the boutique-style dressing room and rooftop skyline views, the residence offers a glimpse at the upscale lifestyle associated with one of the NBA’s prominent young stars.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 29, 2026
Growing up in a leafy, upscale suburban area north of Detroit, El-Sayed enjoyed a mostly idyllic childhood.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 22, 2026
Even so, he appeared with the mayor at his upscale Palisades Village shopping center Tuesday to promote a new program to streamline city utility services.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 20, 2026
The project, financed almost entirely by Abudu's media group, mirrors the upscale lifestyle complex she launched in Nigeria's biggest city, Lagos, in 2019.
From BBC ● Oct. 8, 2026
Dr. Gazzaley sits at Maverick’s, an upscale eatery serving American comfort food.
From "A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age" by Matt Richtel
Granted, this upscaled, agreeably rangy treatment of an adventure storyline that wouldn’t have been out of place on the show could have attempted more.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 19, 2026
The puppets are made from upscaled and recyclable materials – primarily cardboard and plywood – with a focus on bio-degradable and organic materials.
From BBC ● May 21, 2025
The Nature Nanotechnology article describes an innovative graphene-based neurotechnology that can be upscaled using established semiconductor fabrication processes, holding the potential for a transformative impact.
From Science Daily ● Jan. 13, 2024
Previously, the system software upscaled 1080p to 4K, by which enthusiasts, including several people who work for The Verge, were not totally satisfied.
From The Verge ● Oct. 21, 2021
The bigger question, propelling this feisty, funny and poignant comedy-drama arriving Friday, is how much its setting — Boyle Heights, Los Angeles — can be upscaled and “discovered” until it is no longer Boyle Heights.
From New York Times ● Feb. 20, 2020
For others, such as Leeds United in northern England and Spanish team Getafe, upscaling is essential to stay competitive in major leagues where player transfer fees and salaries are huge.
From Barron's ● Mar. 11, 2026
However, this upscaling only underscores the shortcomings of these images, leaving us not in awe of the heavens but adrift in the void.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 31, 2025
It made a big deal of PC-exclusive features including unlocked frame rates, upscaling tech and support for ultrawide displays seen as an advantage souped-up gaming rigs.
From BBC ● May 31, 2024
Dr Ward-Fear says this study tracks Australia's largest cane toad mitigation strategy to date, so upscaling the methodology from individual trials to the ecosystem level was an exercise in logistics and collaborative partnerships.
From Science Daily ● Apr. 9, 2024
Making “Revanchist,” he returned to old project files dating back to 2014, rummaging through unfinished ideas and upscaling the freshest ones.
From New York Times ● Oct. 23, 2023
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
