upgraded; upgrading; upgrades
: 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
: 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
Macworld
Synonyms
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.
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Recent Examples on the WebEmily Alvarenga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 Sep. 2023
Photograph: Maja Stankovic/Getty Images OpenAI recently announced an upgrade to ChatGPT (Apple, Android) that adds two features: AI voice options to hear the chatbot responding to your prompts, and image analysis capabilities.
—WIRED, 30 Sep. 2023
Some of the Quest 3’s specs and tech are borrowed from the Pro; others are natural upgrades from the three-year-old Quest 2.
—David Pierce, The Verge, 27 Sep. 2023
It’s trimmed with a shell material that keeps wind and precipitation at bay and has a perfectly slouchy silhouette that is a sleek upgrade from more entry-level fleeces.
—Todd Plummer, Robb Report, 26 Sep. 2023
Find it on Amazon Globe Floor Lamps Unique lighting is a high-end upgrade that not enough people are talking about.
—Hannah Rice, Rolling Stone, 26 Sep. 2023
The upgrade also included a pair of new undulators, each one linked to a separate accelerator.
—IEEE Spectrum, 26 Sep. 2023
Mayor Justin Bibb sees the plan as a way to fund several hundreds of millions of dollars in public infrastructure upgrades over the coming years to build up downtown Cleveland’s two shorelines.
—Courtney Astolfi, cleveland, 19 Sep. 2023
Denver’s offensive line upgrades face a stiff test Sunday, Sept. 17, when the Broncos (0-1) host the Washington Commanders (1-0).
—Mark Heim | Mheim@al.com, al, 17 Sep. 2023
L. Daniela Alvarez, Better Homes & Gardens, 21 Sep. 2023
Saving Desert Tortoises from Extinction To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
The child tax credit has been around for about twenty-six years and historically has operated as part of people’s tax filing and tax refunds.
—Isaac Chotiner, The New Yorker, 20 Sep. 2023
Officials upgraded their growth outlook in the fresh forecasts.
—Jeanna Smialek, New York Times, 20 Sep. 2023
That arrangement would bring another key advantage: Because of its slow-but-steady generation, a tower could link to the grid with 240-V, single-phase power that’s available anywhere and everywhere, rather than paying to upgrade and install pricy 480-V, three-phase power.
—IEEE Spectrum, 20 Sep. 2023
The site is brimming with orange- and brown-hued decor, which is sure to upgrade the space into a bona fide oasis.
—Amy Schulman, Peoplemag, 19 Sep. 2023
Kind of like upgrading the 20-year-old microwave in your kitchen that takes 15 minutes to heat leftover lasagna.
—cleveland, 16 Sep. 2023
The change will be tagged onto the next major Ethereum software upgrade later this year.
—Olga Kharif, Fortune, 16 Sep. 2023
But work on even a relatively small kitchen can cost more when it is upgraded with luxury materials for the floors and countertops, custom cabinets and high-end appliances.
—Michele Lerner, wsj.com, 15 Sep. 2023
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Noun
City officials and community leaders are expected to hold a news conference next month at Memorial to detail the latest upgrades.
—Emily Alvarenga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 Sep. 2023
Photograph: Maja Stankovic/Getty Images OpenAI recently announced an upgrade to ChatGPT (Apple, Android) that adds two features: AI voice options to hear the chatbot responding to your prompts, and image analysis capabilities.
—WIRED, 30 Sep. 2023
Some of the Quest 3’s specs and tech are borrowed from the Pro; others are natural upgrades from the three-year-old Quest 2.
—David Pierce, The Verge, 27 Sep. 2023
It’s trimmed with a shell material that keeps wind and precipitation at bay and has a perfectly slouchy silhouette that is a sleek upgrade from more entry-level fleeces.
—Todd Plummer, Robb Report, 26 Sep. 2023
Find it on Amazon Globe Floor Lamps Unique lighting is a high-end upgrade that not enough people are talking about.
—Hannah Rice, Rolling Stone, 26 Sep. 2023
The upgrade also included a pair of new undulators, each one linked to a separate accelerator.
—IEEE Spectrum, 26 Sep. 2023
Mayor Justin Bibb sees the plan as a way to fund several hundreds of millions of dollars in public infrastructure upgrades over the coming years to build up downtown Cleveland’s two shorelines.
—Courtney Astolfi, cleveland, 19 Sep. 2023
Denver’s offensive line upgrades face a stiff test Sunday, Sept. 17, when the Broncos (0-1) host the Washington Commanders (1-0).
—Mark Heim | Mheim@al.com, al, 17 Sep. 2023
Verb
The Company Store’s Merino Wool Pinstripe Blanket is the best wool blanket to upgrade your bedroom.
—L. Daniela Alvarez, Better Homes & Gardens, 21 Sep. 2023
Saving Desert Tortoises from Extinction To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
The child tax credit has been around for about twenty-six years and historically has operated as part of people’s tax filing and tax refunds.
—Isaac Chotiner, The New Yorker, 20 Sep. 2023
Officials upgraded their growth outlook in the fresh forecasts.
—Jeanna Smialek, New York Times, 20 Sep. 2023
That arrangement would bring another key advantage: Because of its slow-but-steady generation, a tower could link to the grid with 240-V, single-phase power that’s available anywhere and everywhere, rather than paying to upgrade and install pricy 480-V, three-phase power.
—IEEE Spectrum, 20 Sep. 2023
The site is brimming with orange- and brown-hued decor, which is sure to upgrade the space into a bona fide oasis.
—Amy Schulman, Peoplemag, 19 Sep. 2023
Kind of like upgrading the 20-year-old microwave in your kitchen that takes 15 minutes to heat leftover lasagna.
—cleveland, 16 Sep. 2023
The change will be tagged onto the next major Ethereum software upgrade later this year.
—Olga Kharif, Fortune, 16 Sep. 2023
But work on even a relatively small kitchen can cost more when it is upgraded with luxury materials for the floors and countertops, custom cabinets and high-end appliances.
—Michele Lerner, wsj.com, 15 Sep. 2023
See More
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
Dictionary Entries Near upgrade
Cite this Entry
“Upgrade.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/upgrade. Accessed 4 Oct. 2023.
Copy Citation
Kids Definition
upgrade
1 of 2 noun
up·grade
ˈəp-ˌgrād 
1
: an upward grade or slope
2
: rise entry 2 sense 4
crime has been on the upgrade
1
: to raise to a higher grade or position
2
: to improve or replace especially software or a device for increased usefulness
Medical Definition
upgrade
transitive verb
up·grade
ˈəp-ˌgrād, ˌəp-ˈ
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
Nglish: Translation of upgrade for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of upgrade for Arabic Speakers
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