upstairs

1 of 3

adverb

up·​stairs ˌəp-ˈsterz 

1

: up the stairs : on or to a higher floor

2

: to or at a high altitude or higher position

kicked upstairs to company management

3

: in the head : intellectually

… a little slow upstairs.

—Tom Clancy

upstairs

2 of 3

adjective

up·​stairs ˈəp-ˈsterz 

: situated above the stairs especially on an upper floor

an upstairs bedroom

upstairs

3 of 3

noun

up·​stairs ˈəp-ˈsterz 

ˈəp-ˌsterz

plural in form but singular or plural in construction

: the part of a building above the ground floor

Examples of upstairs in a Sentence

Adverb

When you go upstairs, bring these towels with you.

She was on her way upstairs when she heard a car drive up.

Adjective

You can use the upstairs bathroom.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adverb

Gagosian had maintained offices and galleries upstairs for decades before Bloomberg Philanthropies bought most of the building, forcing much of the operation elsewhere. — Daniel Cassady, ARTnews.com, 3 Aug. 2026

The children were then under the care of the babysitter’s spouse, who stayed upstairs while the children were playing downstairs. — Angie Dimichele, Sun Sentinel, 3 Aug. 2026

Adjective

The one-bedroom home has exposed wood beams, a kiva fireplace, tile floors, a second kitchen fireplace, and a spiral staircase to an upstairs primary suite with wood floors and mountain views. — The Week Us, TheWeek, 3 Aug. 2026

Her family used a box fan in an upstairs window to pull in cool night air. — Laurel Dalrymple, NPR, 31 July 2026

Noun

One of the bedrooms is located on the main floor with the other three upstairs. — Kaitlyn Keegan, Hartford Courant, 25 July 2026

In the back unit, a movie played from a projector upstairs; paintings lined the wall, all telling the story of the Miami locals used to know. — Delia Rose Sauer, Miami Herald, 15 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adverb

1584, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1782, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1842, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing upstairs

• kick upstairs
• man upstairs
• the man upstairs
• the upstairs

Rhymes for upstairs

• affaires
• affairs
• armchairs
• compares
• crosshairs
• declares
• despairs
• downstairs
• forbears
• forebears
• housewares
• impairs

Kids Definition

upstairs

1 of 3 adverb

up·​stairs ˈəp-ˈsta(ə)rz 

-ˈste(ə)rz

1

: up the stairs : to or on a higher floor

2

: to or at a higher position or level

upstairs

2 of 3 adjective

up·​stairs ˈəp-ˈsta(ə)rz 

-ˈste(ə)rz

: located on an upper floor

the upstairs bedroom

upstairs

3 of 3 noun

up·​stairs ˈəp-ˈsta(ə)rz  -ˈste(ə)rz 

ˈəp-ˌsta(ə)rz, 

-ˌste(ə)rz

: the part of a building above the ground floor