upward
Americanadverb
-
toward a higher place or position.
The birds flew upward.
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toward a higher or more distinguished condition, rank, level, etc..
His employer wishes to move him upward in the company.
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to a greater degree; more.
fourscore and upward.
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toward a large city, the source or origin of a stream, or the interior of a country or region.
They followed the Thames River upward from the North Sea to London.
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in the upper parts; above.
adjective
idioms
adjective
adverb
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of upward
before 900; Middle English; Old English upweard (cognate with Dutch opwaart ). See up-, -ward
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.
The house was built without insulation, so our heating bills regularly run upward of $800 a month even though we keep the house at a chilly 67, urging the kids to wear extra sweaters.
From Slate ● Oct. 28, 2026
According to a tracker published by the industry reference guide MIMS, the average number of drugs in short supply in the UK has trended upward this year, external.
From BBC ● Oct. 28, 2026
That mini-divergence between price and RSI warned that upward momentum was fading, and that was confirmed as prices pulled back.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 27, 2026
There, it measured magnetic fields within spicules, narrow jets of solar material that extend upward from the surface.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 24, 2026
She set her dirty boot in his hands, and he heaved upward, and she was up atop a pure-silver youngster.
From "Impossible Creatures" by Katherine Rundell
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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.
