upward

[uhp-werd]

adverb

1. toward a higher place or position.

   The birds flew upward.

2. toward a higher or more distinguished condition, rank, level, etc..

   His employer wishes to move him upward in the company.

3. to a greater degree; more.

   fourscore and upward.

4. 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.

5. in the upper parts; above.

adjective

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

upward

/ ˈʌpwəd /

adjective

1. directed or moving towards a higher point or level

adverb

1. a variant of upwards

Other Word Forms

• upwardly adverb
• upwardness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of upward¹

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

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. upwards of, more than; above.

   My vacation cost me upwards of a thousand dollars.

Example Sentences

McMillon noted that the firm was working to resist "upward pressure on our cost of goods," and said in an earlier statement that e-commerce was a "bright spot" this quarter, growing 27 percent globally.

Read more on Barron's

"The memory industry has begun a robust upward pricing cycle," which "forces downstream brands to hike retail prices," TrendForce said.

Read more on Barron's

Looking ahead, Sage expects organic revenue growth to be at least 9% and operating margins to continue trending upward for fiscal 2026.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Extreme bearishness often precedes upward movement in the stock market; conversely, extreme bullish sentiment could be a cue to sell.

Read more on MarketWatch

Yet the hardest challenges—reducing the national debt, strengthening the workforce and restoring upward mobility—demand effort, not entitlement.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• higher 
• skyward 
• uphill