upgrade

noun

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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

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. See More

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun However, a new rumor suggests that the type of technology underlying the 120Hz ProMotion display may see something of an upgrade. — Yoni Heisler, BGR, 24 May 2022 For now, the Lightning is still eligible for the $7500 electric vehicle tax credit, so that offsets the cost of the upgrade somewhat. — Car and Driver, 11 May 2022 Yet Pickett might not be much of an upgrade at all from Mitch Trubisky nor have the long-term impact Willis could. — Nate Davis, USA TODAY, 5 May 2022 The common area alongside the two-story building was in need of an upgrade, and volunteers from the battalion spent the morning at work. — Gary Warth, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Apr. 2022 The simple scoop neckline gets an upgrade with a low ladder back and ruffles along the thin black shoulder straps. — Hannah Oh, Seventeen, 13 May 2022 For lovers of loose powder who want an upgrade, this packaging is quite the innovation. — ELLE, 13 May 2022 An upgrade fits in Wagyu beef, caviar and truffles. — Washington Post, 11 May 2022 Few things are more soothing than a nice cup of tea— and your mom deserves an upgrade from Lipton. — Jeanne O'brien Coffey, Forbes, 5 May 2022 Recent Examples on the Web: Verb Indulge yourself and upgrade your self-care routine with Buttah’s Whipped Body Butter, a seriously decadent body cream that drenches skin in hydration and moisture. — Grooming Playbook, The Salt Lake Tribune, 24 May 2022 The city of Naperville could receive $900,000 in the federal money next year to enhance and upgrade the Riverwalk Eagle Street Gateway. — Suzanne Baker, Chicago Tribune, 24 May 2022 Now's the time to conjure up a new summer look, prep your hair for more sun exposure than it's been used to, or upgrade your accessories — or all of the above. — Marci Robin, Allure, 18 May 2022 Alternatively, Turkey is looking to purchase a new batch of F-16 fighter jets and upgrade its existing fleet. — Suzan Fraser, ajc, 17 May 2022 To date, Microsoft has only enabled this feature by default for new installs rather than upgrade installs. — Andrew Cunningham, Ars Technica, 13 May 2022 On May 3, Newland announced a $10.65 million package to repair and upgrade Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA)-owned water systems that had experienced contamination, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) violations or were at risk of failing. — Chris Aadland, oregonlive, 11 May 2022 Most franchises upgrade their brand standards every few years. — Expert Panel®, Forbes, 4 May 2022 As part of the fine, it was also ordered by regulators to clean up its systems and upgrade its technology, which its chief executive Jane Fraser said was the bank’s top priority at an investor event in March. — Sophie Mellor, Fortune, 3 May 2022 See More

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.