upgrade

1 of 2

noun

up·​grade ˈəp-ˌgrād How to pronounce upgrade (audio)
1
: an upward grade or slope
2
3

upgrade

2 of 2

verb

upgraded; upgrading; upgrades

transitive verb

: to raise or improve the grade of: such as
a
: to improve (livestock) by use of purebred sires
b
: to advance to a job requiring a higher level of skill especially as part of a training program
c
: to raise the quality of
d
: to raise the classification and usually the price of without improving the quality
e
: to extend the usefulness of (something, such as a device)
f
: to assign a less serious status to
upgraded the patient's condition to good

intransitive verb

: to replace something (such as software or an electronic device) with a more useful version or alternative
Upgrading to a new operating system can make people anxious, even under the best of circumstances.Macworld
upgradability noun
upgradable adjective
or upgradeable

Examples of upgrade in a Sentence

Noun a slight upgrade in the roadway The hotel offered us a room upgrade. Verb This course will help you to upgrade your computer skills. They've upgraded the quality of their service. The city is upgrading the sewage treatment plant. The office is upgrading the telephone system. They upgraded the hotel to attract more business patrons. We were able to upgrade to first class. We had reserved a double room, but the hotel upgraded us to a suite.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Miles can be used to purchase flights, request upgrades, book hotels, pay for inflight Wi-Fi, and more. Alison Fox, Travel + Leisure, 21 Mar. 2024 All told, Congress appropriated about $200 billion over the pandemic era to fund building upgrades, sanitation measures, and, eventually, educational programs to combat the learning loss students experienced as a result of closures. The Editors, National Review, 20 Mar. 2024 Multi-use space and cafeteria upgrades at the high school. Sue Kiesewetter, The Enquirer, 20 Mar. 2024 Reservations are recommended and photo package upgrades are available for a fee. Dina Kaur, The Arizona Republic, 19 Mar. 2024 But any argument for a coaching change must include the risk-reward calculation: What’s the likelihood of hiring someone who represents an indisputable upgrade, especially without a permanent athletic director to manage the search? Jon Wilner, The Mercury News, 17 Mar. 2024 Of course, other options and upgrades are available while purchasing. USA TODAY, 16 Mar. 2024 As has been the case for the majority of the R35’s lifespan, the latest GT-R is more of a refinement than an upgrade. Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 15 Mar. 2024 This year, city officials said, hotel room renovations, elevator upgrades, repair of the ship’s third smokestack and an expansion of the Sun Deck, which is used for special events such as weddings, are planned. Salvador Hernandez, Los Angeles Times, 14 Mar. 2024
Verb
Burks, White and Braun upgrade a woeful linebacker corps and Gardner-Johnson is a natural prickly fit at safety. Clarence E. Hill Jr., Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 Mar. 2024 The front-facing camera has also been upgraded to a 1080p one, but there’s no wide angle like the Surface Pro 10 for Business. Tom Warren, The Verge, 21 Mar. 2024 Did the response at test screenings ultimately upgrade this movie from Hulu to theatrical? Brian Davids, The Hollywood Reporter, 20 Mar. 2024 In music streaming, large language models make music discovery increasingly intelligent and the company upgraded its virtual DJ with more songs for users. Patrick Frater, Variety, 19 Mar. 2024 Some current and former employees say Reddit may have upgraded its measurement tools, suggesting the earlier figures may not have been accurate. Paresh Dave, WIRED, 18 Mar. 2024 To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that Yet there’s also the matter of your specific circumstances and mental health. Shon Faye, Vogue, 18 Mar. 2024 To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that This live event will begin shortly... Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 11 Mar. 2024 At the hearing, witnesses advocated for a fee to help improve, sustain and upgrade America's recycling system. Ricardo Torres, Journal Sentinel, 7 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'upgrade.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1873, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1901, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of upgrade was in 1873

Dictionary Entries Near upgrade

Cite this Entry

“Upgrade.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/upgrade. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

upgrade

1 of 2 noun
up·​grade ˈəp-ˌgrād How to pronounce upgrade (audio)
1
: an upward grade or slope
2
: rise entry 2 sense 4
crime has been on the upgrade

upgrade

2 of 2 verb
1
: to raise to a higher grade or position
2
: to improve or replace especially software or a device for increased usefulness
upgradability noun
upgradable adjective
or upgradeable

Medical Definition

upgrade

transitive verb
upgraded; upgrading
1
: to assign a less serious status to
upgraded the patient's condition from fair to good
2
: to reclassify (as a cancer, concussion, or bone fracture) to a more serious grade when the grades are numbered from least to most serious

More from Merriam-Webster on upgrade

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