uphill

1 of 3

adverb

up·​hill ˈəp-ˈhil How to pronounce uphill (audio)
1
: upward on a hill or incline
2
: against difficulties
seemed to be talking uphillWilla Cather

uphill

2 of 3

noun

up·​hill ˈəp-ˌhil How to pronounce uphill (audio)
: rising ground : ascent

uphill

3 of 3

adjective

up·​hill ˈəp-ˌhil How to pronounce uphill (audio)
1
: situated on elevated ground
2
a
: going up : ascending
b
: being the higher one or part especially of a set
specifically : being nearer the top of an incline
3

Examples of uphill in a Sentence

Adverb It is easier to ride a bicycle downhill than uphill. Noun no matter where you go bicycle touring, the uphills always seem to outnumber the downhills Adjective It has been an uphill battle for her to get an education. an uphill battle to eradicate poverty in an area of the state that has never known anything else
Recent Examples on the Web
Adverb
But the operation of pumping the water back uphill would use about 7 million MWh per year. Dennis Pillion | Dpillion@al.com, al, 14 July 2023 Each wear either the yellow or blue Colombian team’s national soccer jersey with a number, to ease identification, and charge $20 to move a bag uphill – or even for $100, a child. Nick Paton Walsh, CNN, 15 Apr. 2023 Poor gearing can leave your little one pedaling furiously, but going nowhere fast, or struggling hard to move the pedals at all while going uphill. Dorian Smith-Garcia, Parents, 24 Aug. 2023 In an evolving population, selection will always drive that population uphill. Veronique Greenwood, Quanta Magazine, 15 Aug. 2023 Hundreds of workers built Machu Picchu by pushing heavy stones uphill or carving them directly out of the mountainside’s bedrock. Matt Hrodey, Discover Magazine, 1 Aug. 2023 In the first few episodes, the contestants have been dunked in and out of a water tank while trying to retrieve balls and carry heavy statues uphill, and that's only the beginning. Keith Nelson, Men's Health, 17 Aug. 2023 Visitors must hoof it more than half a mile uphill along a winding road, cumbersome beach gear in tow. Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, 29 June 2023 Flames could be seen speeding uphill, and officials were initially concerned the blaze could grow to 100 acres. Lyndsay Winkley, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 June 2023
Noun
Compared with glaciers in a steady state, melting glaciers will provide more river water in the short term but less in the long term as glaciers retreat uphill and ice thins. Walter Immerzeel, Scientific American, 1 Jan. 2021 An underground pump house would contain four reversible pump-turbine units that can be used to pump water from the lower reservoir uphill to the other lake and then generate electricity as the water flows back down to the lower reservoir. Dennis Pillion | Dpillion@al.com, al, 14 July 2023 Fit people might need more than a casual walk; hiking and rucking uphill can get you there. Marty Munson, Men's Health, 23 June 2023 Her slowest, on an uphill, was 10:05. Beth Bragg, Anchorage Daily News, 19 Sep. 2021 The two collided on the slope, with each presenting testimony claiming the other was the uphill — and therefore at fault — skier. James Hibberd, The Hollywood Reporter, 30 Mar. 2023 But this idea of minimizing anticipation of hard tasks, like decision-making, project work and uphills? Alli Harvey, Anchorage Daily News, 4 Mar. 2023 The rest of the uphill is steady and defeating. Peter Hartlaub, San Francisco Chronicle, 1 Nov. 2022 Your uphill is downhill for him. The Salt Lake Tribune, 25 Sep. 2020
Adjective
But competition is intense and 1587, like any startup, faces an uphill climb to break through the crowd, analysts say. Thomas Lee, BostonGlobe.com, 13 Sep. 2023 Getting that docu-series investment from U.S. streaming platforms, however, remains an uphill climb. Etan Vlessing, The Hollywood Reporter, 12 Sep. 2023 But those superhero movies face an uphill climb, especially after Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania and The Flash both underperformed at the box office earlier this year. Time, 24 Aug. 2023 The intensity of this segregation has made all Black progress in the city an uphill climb, including in the rap scene. Alphonse Pierre, Pitchfork, 21 Aug. 2023 The improvements include repaving, an eastbound lane for trucks that struggle on an uphill climb, new guardrails and drainage upgrades. Russ Wiles, The Arizona Republic, 19 Aug. 2023 But Carter faces another uphill climb to make the Titans’ regular-season roster. Mark Inabinett | Minabinett@al.com, al, 19 Aug. 2023 As a botanist, she’s worked at reforestation sites making the slow uphill climb of restoring the islands’ native plant life. Sakshi Venkatraman, NBC News, 12 Aug. 2023 What if that distance is straight uphill, or through difficult terrain? Jackie Appel, Popular Mechanics, 10 June 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'uphill.' 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

Adverb

1535, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1548, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

1613, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of uphill was in 1535

Dictionary Entries Near uphill

Cite this Entry

“Uphill.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/uphill. Accessed 24 Sep. 2023.

Kids Definition

uphill

1 of 2 adverb
up·​hill ˈəp-ˈhil How to pronounce uphill (audio)
1
: in an upward direction
2
: against difficulties

uphill

2 of 2 adjective
up·​hill ˌəp-ˌhil How to pronounce uphill (audio)
1
: being on high ground
2
: going up : ascending
3
: difficult sense 1
an uphill struggle

More from Merriam-Webster on uphill

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