upgrade

1 of 2

noun

up·​grade ˈəp-ˌgrād 

1

: an upward grade or slope

a slight upgrade in the driveway

2

: increase, rise

was failing but is now on the upgrade

3

: improvement sense 2b

software/system upgrades

a room upgrade

upgrade

2 of 2

verb

up·​grade ˈəp-ˌgrād  ˌəp-ˈgrād 

upgraded; upgrading; upgrades

transitive verb

: to raise or improve the grade of: such as

a

: to advance to a job requiring a higher level of skill especially as part of a training program

b

: to raise the quality of

c

: to raise the classification and usually the price of without improving the quality

d

: to extend the usefulness of (something, such as a device)

e

: to assign a less serious status to

upgraded the patient's condition to good

f

: to improve (livestock) by use of purebred sires

intransitive verb

1

: 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

2

: to get something of better quality than the original

We were able to upgrade to first class seats.

upgradability noun

or upgradeability

ˌəp-ˌgrā-də-ˈbi-lə-tē 

upgradable adjective

or upgradeable

ˌəp-ˈgrā-də-bəl 

Synonyms of upgrade

Noun

• hill
• inclination
• climb
• incline
• ascent

Verb

• promote
• elevate

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

If the city completes the necessary upgrades and receives approval for the quiet zone, officials say reducing train horn noise could make the area more attractive for residents and businesses. — Dillon Thomas, CBS News, 18 Aug. 2026

The beautiful, heirloom quality cookware is a quintessential gift or kitchen upgrade. — ABC News, 17 Aug. 2026

Verb

Families asked questions and learned that students are expected to return in January after a lengthy process of cleaning, then upgrading facilities. — Eva Andersen, CBS News, 19 Aug. 2026

In fact, while other car companies race to roll out 800-volt architectures, new motors, upgraded computers, bigger batteries and faster charging, even for just a mid-cycle facelift, Rolls-Royce has instead doubled-down on its bespoke offerings. — Alistair Charlton, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1873, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1901, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Rhymes for upgrade

• afraid
• allayed
• arcade
• arrayed
• assayed
• barmaid
• betrayed
• blockade
• bridesmaid
• brigade
• brocade
• buffeted

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

upgrade

2 of 2 verb

up·​grade ˈəp-ˌgrād  ˌəp-ˈgrād 

1

: to raise to a higher grade or position

2

: to improve or replace especially software or a device for increased usefulness

upgradability noun

or upgradeability

ˌəp-ˌgrād-ə-ˈbil-ət-ē 

upgradable adjective

or upgradeable

ˌəp-ˈgrād-ə-bəl 

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