upgrade

noun

up·grade | \ ˈəp-ˌgrād

Definition of upgrade

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : an upward grade or slope

2 : increase, rise

3 : improvement sense 2b

upgrade

verb

up·grade | \ ˈəp-ˌgrād

, ˌəp-ˈgrād

upgraded; upgrading; upgrades

Definition of upgrade (Entry 2 of 2)

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

Other Words from upgrade Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about upgrade

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Other Words from upgrade

Verb

upgradability or upgradeability \ ˌəp-ˌgrā-də-ˈbi-lə-tē

\ noun

upgradable or upgradeable \ ˌəp-ˈgrā-də-bəl

\ adjective

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

Even your phone can get a campy upgrade thanks to Off-White’s very literal phone case. — Vogue, "Some Notes on Spring’s Campiest Accessories," 10 Apr. 2019 Score a brand-new look for your bathroom with a super-convenient upgrade from this GH Seal star that takes the stress out of renovation and upkeep. — The Good Housekeeping Institute, Good Housekeeping, "GH Seal Spotlight: Bath Planet by BCI," 5 Apr. 2019 The search got a major upgrade in 2005, when Congress established an ambitious goal for the NASA program: discover 90 percent of the NEOs down to the much smaller size of 450 feet (140 meters) by the year 2020. — David Grossman, Popular Mechanics, "A Meteor Hit Earth With the Force of a Nuclear Bomb and We Hardly Even Noticed," 18 Mar. 2019 Tonight's glittery number is a formal upgrade from Duchess Kate's earlier looks today, which included workout gear and sneakers for outdoor activities with local children, and a bright red Carolina Herrera coat dress. — Erica Gonzales, Harper's BAZAAR, "Kate Middleton Sparkles in a Green Missoni Dress in Ireland," 27 Feb. 2019 If your workwear could use a slight upgrade, consider checking out Club Monaco's summer sale. — Allure, "The Best Sales This Week That Are Not Amazon Prime Day," 17 July 2018 Also remember that this special is only available for coach seats, and there are no upgrades available. — Jennifer Aldrich, Country Living, "Amtrak Is Having a Massive 2-for-1 Sale Just in Time for Valentine's Day," 14 Feb. 2019 Either way, the free upgrade window closed long ago. — Mark Hachman, PCWorld, "For some, the glory days of Microsoft are ending in about a year," 18 Jan. 2019 The Hampden gym at the Rotunda opened in 2017, and other sites have undergone upgrades. — Sarah Meehan, baltimoresun.com, "Brick Bodies closing 2 Baltimore-area gyms in August," 12 July 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

Note: My phone recently upgraded its operating system to Android 9. — Patrick Marshall, The Seattle Times, "A mysterious spike in data usage puzzles customer," 15 Apr. 2019 Boost your home’s curb appeal, resale value, and energy efficiency by upgrading your windows to this GH Seal star. — Good Housekeeping, "GH Seal Spotlight: Earthwise Windows," 5 Apr. 2019 As for Windows 7 owners, the problem is financial: Backing up your data to an external hard drive, than upgrading to Windows 10, requires an investment in time and money. — Mark Hachman, PCWorld, "For some, the glory days of Microsoft are ending in about a year," 18 Jan. 2019 Of course, there’s a ruby red slipper and a bicycle fit for even the most discerning of Totos, but there’s also a baby blue frock by the Vampire’s Wife that upgrades Dorothy’s gingham. — Lilah Ramzi, Vogue, "This Fantasy Gift Guide Holds the Key to a Happily Ever After Holiday," 4 Dec. 2018 Meanwhile, satellite images posted online by researchers show North Korea continuing to expand a ballistic missile manufacturing site while also upgrading a separate nuclear facility. — W.j. Hennigan, Time, "The Trump-Kim Summit Was a Month Ago. Little Has Changed So Far.," 9 July 2018 With the engine upgrade, the Sienna now has 296 horsepower and 263 foot-pounds of torque. — G. Chambers Williams Iii, Houston Chronicle, "Toyota Sienna gets some upgrades for 2018, including new front end," 7 July 2018 Slowing urbanization means fewer rural residents are moving to cities, softening demand for new properties, while a graying population means there are fewer young families looking to upgrade homes. — Dominique Fong, WSJ, "China’s Property Market, Once a Lifeline, Now Carries Economic Risks," 16 Feb. 2019 Macs that are upgraded to Mojave are also affected. — Tamara Fuentes, Seventeen, "New iPhone FaceTime Bug Lets People Eavesdrop On Your Conversations and Apple Is Scrambling to Fix It," 29 Jan. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'upgrade.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.