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
Family level starts at $175 and includes benefits for two adults and their children and grandchildren under 18 years old, with upgrade options to add up to three guests. Journal Sentinel, 12 Apr. 2024 But the canal’s upgrades can’t keep up with climate change’s cascading effects. Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 11 Apr. 2024 Copper Queen Hotel has been undergoing restoration since 2017 to make modern upgrades and preserve its history. Dina Kaur, The Arizona Republic, 11 Apr. 2024 The software maker had to tweak its Windows 10 upgrade notification prompts just months later following complaints about how confusing the upgrade experience was. Tom Warren, The Verge, 11 Apr. 2024 Robes, coffeemakers, welcome waters, and mini-fridges come standard with upgrades snagging extras like balconies, upgraded views, or an oceanfront location. Katherine Alex Beaven, Travel + Leisure, 11 Apr. 2024 Hertz President’s Circle Status: Elevate your car rentals with complimentary Hertz President’s Circle Status, offering exclusive benefits like priority service and vehicle upgrades. Kim Hawk, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 Apr. 2024 Recent upgrades to the property include six new high-efficiency furnaces and air conditioners, new humidifiers, a new boiler, a new hot water storage tank, $100,000 in window and door upgrades and about $20,000 in electrical updates, and the elevator was serviced and certified in 2022. Detroit Free Press, 9 Apr. 2024 Abarca, though, is skeptical that these upgrades would translate to improvements in customer service. Natalie Wallington, Kansas City Star, 8 Apr. 2024
Verb
Police were dispatched to 23rd and Topping on a traffic accident shortly after midnight that was upgraded to a shooting while en route. Noelle Alviz-Gransee, Kansas City Star, 15 Apr. 2024 As for Robinson, he was upgraded to questionable on the Heat’s injury report for Sunday’s game before being ruled out. Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 15 Apr. 2024 The bank’s economists and researchers upgraded their S&P 500 target from a range between 4,800 and 5,000 to a range between 5,100 and 5,300. Bywill Daniel, Fortune, 15 Apr. 2024 The company will now upgrade the facility’s manufacturing capacity. Don Clark, New York Times, 15 Apr. 2024 And while the animation has upgraded to 3D and the episodes are shorter, the actor who voiced Dora for the first time 24 years ago says that the new season —kicking off Friday on Paramount+ — will be as friendly and exciting as always. Arturo Conde, NBC News, 11 Apr. 2024 Robes, coffeemakers, welcome waters, and mini-fridges come standard with upgrades snagging extras like balconies, upgraded views, or an oceanfront location. Katherine Alex Beaven, Travel + Leisure, 11 Apr. 2024 Though upfront renovation costs can be high, renovating or upgrading a home can raise its value, potentially allowing it to be sold for more money in the future. Molly Peck, USA TODAY, 10 Apr. 2024 Hackman Capital announced a $1.25-billion plan two years ago to expand and upgrade facilities on the lot at Beverly Boulevard and Fairfax Avenue in hopes of harnessing strong demand in the region for soundstages, production facilities and offices for rent on studio lots. Roger Vincent, Los Angeles Times, 4 Apr. 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 19 Apr. 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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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