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upscale

[ adjective uhp-skeyl; verb uhp-skeyl; noun uhp-skeyl ]
/ adjective ˈʌpˈskeɪl; verb ʌpˈskeɪl; noun ˈʌpˌskeɪl /
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See synonyms for upscale on Thesaurus.com
adjective
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), up·scaled, up·scal·ing.
to improve the quality, value, or rating of: a five-year plan to upscale the neighborhood.
noun Usually the upscale .(used with a plural verb)
elegant, elite, privileged persons collectively: shops that only the upscale can afford to patronize.
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Origin of upscale

An Americanism dating back to 1970–75; up- + scale3
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Words related to upscale

moneyed, prosperous, rich, well-off, well-to-do, costly, extravagant, fancy, high, lavish, overpriced, pricey, valuable, chic, contemporary, hot, mod, modern, new, popular

How to use upscale in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for upscale

upscale
/ informal /
adjective (ˈʌpˈskeɪl)
of or for the upper end of an economic or social scale; up-market
verb (ˈʌpˌskeɪl)
(tr) to increase the scale of
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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