upward

[ uhp-werd ]

/ ˈʌp wərd /

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See synonyms for upward on Thesaurus.com

adverb Also upwards.

toward a higher place or position: The birds flew upward.

toward a higher or more distinguished condition, rank, level, etc.: His employer wishes to move him upward in the company.

to a greater degree; more: fourscore and upward.

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.

in the upper parts; above.

adjective

moving or tending upward; directed at or situated in a higher place or position.

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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Idioms about upward

upwards of, more than; above: My vacation cost me upwards of a thousand dollars.

Origin of upward

before 900; Middle English; Old English upweard (cognate with Dutch opwaart). See up-, -ward

OTHER WORDS FROM upward

up·ward·ly, adverbup·ward·ness, noun

Words nearby upward

UPU, upvalue, UPVC, upvote, U.P.W.A., upward, upwardly mobile, upward mobility, upwards, upwards of, upwarp

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use upward in a sentence

Even though upward of one-third of the US population may have already been exposed to the virus, we don’t fully know who has had it because there are so many asymptomatic cases, and because of gaps in testing.
Covid-19 vaccines are great — but you still need to wear a mask for now|Umair Irfan|February 9, 2021|Vox
A wispy, spirit-like version of herself falls away from her body as her outstretched arm and eyes point upward.
Peloton makes toning your glutes feel spiritual. But should Jesus be part of the experience?|Michelle Boorstein|February 5, 2021|Washington Post
If case counts in an area begin to tick upward, public-health departments should be ready to respond quickly with vaccination and testing campaigns, Popescu says.
We May Never Eliminate COVID-19. But We Can Learn to Live With It|Jamie Ducharme|February 4, 2021|Time
In the lab box tests, spiders had to add strand after strand before researchers saw the first upward lurch.
How a tiny spider uses silk to lift prey 50 times its own weight|Susan Milius|February 3, 2021|Science News

She has been depositing upward of $250 a month for the last six months into both of my daughters' accounts.
Carolyn Hax: Hesitant to plunge into the online dating pool|Carolyn Hax|February 1, 2021|Washington Post
Officials have said the war to reclaim upward of a third of Iraq and a quarter of Syria from ISIS could take years.
Pentagon Doesn’t Know How Many People It’s Killed in the ISIS War|Nancy A. Youssef|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Their clear priorities : faster economic growth and promoting upward mobility for the middle and working classes.
Time to Bring Back the Truman Democrats|Joel Kotkin|December 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST
For fees ranging upward of $100, the officiant is the person who makes a prison marriage happen.
Saying Yes to the Dress—Behind Bars|Caitlin Dickson|December 8, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Constitutional arguments aside, there do seem to be some better ways to create conditions for upward mobility among newcomers.
Legal but Still Poor: The Economic Consequences of Amnesty|Joel Kotkin|November 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Unlike a normal ship, the bow slopes upward from the water up to the deck.
Can the Navy's $12 Billion Stealth Destroyer Stay Afloat?|Dave Majumdar|October 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Both of the orator's hands swung upward and outward, and he looked intently at the ceiling.
The Soldier of the Valley|Nelson Lloyd
The unsupported pump-rods fell downwards, setting in upward motion the column of water in the plunger-pole pumps.
Life of Richard Trevithick, Volume II (of 2)|Francis Trevithick
As the organist closes his pedal, the indicator key again moves upward into its normal position.
The Recent Revolution in Organ Building|George Laing Miller
Even Henrietta stopped eating, looked upward at the dusty ceiling, and listened for a repetition of the sound.
The Campfire Girls of Roselawn|Margaret Penrose
Pallid, Sir Lucien Pyne lay by the ebony chair glaring horribly upward.
Dope|Sax Rohmer

British Dictionary definitions for upward

upward

/ (ˈʌpwəd) /

adjective

directed or moving towards a higher point or level

adverb

a variant of upwards

Derived forms of upward

upwardly, adverbupwardness, noun

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

upward

Idioms about upward

Origin of upward

OTHER WORDS FROM upward

Words nearby upward

Words related to upward

How to use upward in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for upward

Derived forms of upward