upward
Americanadverb
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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.
U.S. stocks rose and the broad S&P 500 hit a record high as artificial-intelligence bets regained upward momentum and oil futures levelled off.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 6, 2026
Rabid bat detections can vary year-to-year, but Los Angeles County has seen a steady upward trend for more than a decade.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 6, 2026
For years, home prices have marched upward, hitting new record highs as people hung on to their homes and their ultralow mortgage rates, restricting supply.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 2, 2026
Behind him, his comrade gazes upward, lost in thought.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2026
The tro-tro minibus followed the course of the river west from Mepe, and for more than two hours I kept my face to the window, looking upward for fear of spilling shameful tears.
From "Flying Through Water" by Mamle Wolo
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
