upper

1 of 3

adjective

up·​per ˈə-pər 

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

upper

2 of 3

noun (1)

: 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

upper

3 of 3

noun (2)

1

: a stimulant drug

especially : amphetamine

2

: something that induces a state of good feeling or exhilaration

Phrases

on one's uppers

: in straitened circumstances : destitute

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

Adjective

The steering column upper shaft may detach, which can result in lost control. —Olivia Evans, Louisville Courier Journal, 2 Oct. 2025

Temperatures are expected to range from the upper 20’s to low 30’s in these areas according to the warnings, which are in effect from midnight Wednesday night. —Joe Edwards, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Oct. 2025

Noun

Her pumps, cut in a pointed satin upper, came saturated in fuchsia with a slim stiletto heel. —Maggie Clancy, Footwear News, 2 Oct. 2025

Such as especially the case with sneakers, which can be cobbled together from as many as 60 wholly disparate parts, each designed to coddle, protect or perform, from leather uppers to EVA midsoles to the individual metal eyelet through which a cotton or polyester shoelace can be braced and secured. —Jasmin Malik Chua, Sourcing Journal, 1 Oct. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English, comparative of up entry 2

Noun (2)

up + -er entry 2

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun (1)

1789, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

circa 1968, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing upper

• fixer-upper
• stand-upper
• stiff upper lip
• the upper crust
• the upper hand
• upper case
• upper class
• upper crust
• upper hand
• upper respiratory
• upper respiratory tract
• upper school

Rhymes for upper

• supper

Kids 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 noun

1

: 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