1
a
: higher in physical position, rank, or order
the upper lip
upper management
b
: farther inland
the upper Mississippi
2
: constituting the branch of a bicameral legislature that is usually smaller and more restricted in membership and possesses greater traditional prestige than the lower house
3
a
: constituting a stratum relatively near the earth's surface
b
capitalized
: being a later epoch or series of the period or system named
Upper Cretaceous
Upper Paleolithic
4
: northern
upper Manhattan
: one that is upper: such as
a
: the parts of a shoe or boot above the sole
b
: an upper tooth or denture
c
: an upper berth
1
: a stimulant drug
especially
: amphetamine
2
: something that induces a state of good feeling or exhilaration
Examples of upper in a Sentence
Adjective
upper and lower front teeth
the wing's upper and lower surfaces
the ship's upper and lower decks
Who will sleep on the upper berth?
The upper stories are occupied by offices.
the upper layer of the Earth's crust
temperatures in the mid to upper 20s
Write your name on the upper left-hand corner of the page.
relief of upper back pain
the mountain's upper and lower slopes
Recent Examples on the Web
Sammy Roth, Los Angeles Times, 16 Apr. 2024
As the condition progresses, skin can become hard, thick, and swollen, spreading throughout the body starting with the upper back, shoulders, neck, chest, and even face.
—Elizabeth Woolley, Verywell Health, 15 Apr. 2024
Eyelines are typically framed around the upper third of the display in movies and shows.
—Eric Ravenscraft, WIRED, 15 Apr. 2024
Some signs and symptoms to be aware of include severe headaches, high blood pressure, changes in vision, and pain in the upper belly area.
—Elizabeth Ayoola, Essence, 15 Apr. 2024
Mini-heart attack symptoms include extreme fatigue, indigestion, and muscle pain in your chest or upper back.4
Keep in mind that many heart attack symptoms can be signs of less severe health concerns.
—Yuliya Klochan, Health, 14 Apr. 2024
Williams’ upper left arm, which sustained a compound fracture of his humerus in early November against Florida State, was heavily wrapped.
—Susan Miller Degnan, Miami Herald, 14 Apr. 2024
For example, Dinah was assigned a colonial house that felt more prim and proper, a little bit more from the upper East Coast.
—Brande Victorian, The Hollywood Reporter, 13 Apr. 2024
Not to mention that showers dropped temperatures to the upper 30s and low 40s in spots.
—Ian Livingston, Washington Post, 4 Apr. 2024
Madison Yauger, Peoplemag, 27 Mar. 2024
These canvas sneakers are the ultimate spring shoes, from their bold color range to their lightweight, breathable cloth uppers.
—Olivia Young, Travel + Leisure, 13 Mar. 2024
Three of the uppers are made of full-grain leather, while the fourth features hair-on-hide Italian leather.
—Demetrius Simms, Robb Report, 12 Mar. 2024
As our editors can attest, these things last forever, with virtually indestructible soles and leather uppers that only get better with wear.
—Jake Henry Smith, Glamour, 7 Mar. 2024
These supportive boots do just that with their waterproof membranes, pigskin leather, and mesh uppers.
—Aly Walansky, Travel + Leisure, 22 Mar. 2024
Water-resistant suede uppers make these boots feel very high-quality.
—Calin Van Paris, Peoplemag, 10 Feb. 2024
Exterior Many regular sneakers have breathable uppers made of mesh or other lightweight fabrics to keep feet cool.
—Hannah Singleton, SELF, 4 Mar. 2024
Lightweight, minimalist-feeling uppers contribute to a barely-there feel, and On’s proprietary Helion superfoam and cell-like Cloudtec construction make the miles go by in a flash.
—Maggie Slepian, Travel + Leisure, 7 Feb. 2024
Adjective
During times of day when there’s extra power on the Western electric grid — maybe temperatures are moderate in Portland and Seattle, but Montana winds are blowing strong — the Gordon Butte project will use that extra juice to pump water uphill, from the lower reservoir to the upper reservoir.
—Sammy Roth, Los Angeles Times, 16 Apr. 2024
As the condition progresses, skin can become hard, thick, and swollen, spreading throughout the body starting with the upper back, shoulders, neck, chest, and even face.
—Elizabeth Woolley, Verywell Health, 15 Apr. 2024
Eyelines are typically framed around the upper third of the display in movies and shows.
—Eric Ravenscraft, WIRED, 15 Apr. 2024
Some signs and symptoms to be aware of include severe headaches, high blood pressure, changes in vision, and pain in the upper belly area.
—Elizabeth Ayoola, Essence, 15 Apr. 2024
Mini-heart attack symptoms include extreme fatigue, indigestion, and muscle pain in your chest or upper back.4
Keep in mind that many heart attack symptoms can be signs of less severe health concerns.
—Yuliya Klochan, Health, 14 Apr. 2024
Williams’ upper left arm, which sustained a compound fracture of his humerus in early November against Florida State, was heavily wrapped.
—Susan Miller Degnan, Miami Herald, 14 Apr. 2024
For example, Dinah was assigned a colonial house that felt more prim and proper, a little bit more from the upper East Coast.
—Brande Victorian, The Hollywood Reporter, 13 Apr. 2024
Not to mention that showers dropped temperatures to the upper 30s and low 40s in spots.
—Ian Livingston, Washington Post, 4 Apr. 2024
Noun
Cons Our tester felt the shoe would be better with a more breathable upper.
—Madison Yauger, Peoplemag, 27 Mar. 2024
These canvas sneakers are the ultimate spring shoes, from their bold color range to their lightweight, breathable cloth uppers.
—Olivia Young, Travel + Leisure, 13 Mar. 2024
Three of the uppers are made of full-grain leather, while the fourth features hair-on-hide Italian leather.
—Demetrius Simms, Robb Report, 12 Mar. 2024
As our editors can attest, these things last forever, with virtually indestructible soles and leather uppers that only get better with wear.
—Jake Henry Smith, Glamour, 7 Mar. 2024
These supportive boots do just that with their waterproof membranes, pigskin leather, and mesh uppers.
—Aly Walansky, Travel + Leisure, 22 Mar. 2024
Water-resistant suede uppers make these boots feel very high-quality.
—Calin Van Paris, Peoplemag, 10 Feb. 2024
Exterior Many regular sneakers have breathable uppers made of mesh or other lightweight fabrics to keep feet cool.
—Hannah Singleton, SELF, 4 Mar. 2024
Lightweight, minimalist-feeling uppers contribute to a barely-there feel, and On’s proprietary Helion superfoam and cell-like Cloudtec construction make the miles go by in a flash.
—Maggie Slepian, Travel + Leisure, 7 Feb. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'upper.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near upper
Cite this Entry
“Upper.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/upper. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
upper
1 of 3 adjective
up·per
ˈəp-ər 
1
: higher in physical position, rank, or order
the upper lip
upper management
2
: being the smaller and more restricted branch of a two-house legislature
3
capitalized
: of, relating to, or being a later geologic period or formation
the Upper Cretaceous period
4
: being toward the interior : further inland
the upper Amazon
5
: northern
upper New York state
upper
2 of 3 noun1
: the parts of a shoe or boot above the sole
2
: an upper tooth or set of teeth
3
: an upper berth
upper
3 of 3 noun
: a stimulant drug
especially
: amphetamine
Medical Definition
upper
1 of 2 noun
up·per
ˈəp-ər
: an upper tooth or denture
upper
2 of 2 noun
: a stimulant drug
especially
: amphetamine
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