upright

adjective up·right \ ˈəp-ˌrīt \

Updated on: 20 May 2018

Definition of upright

1 a : perpendicular, vertical

b : erect in carriage or posture

c : having the main axis or a main part perpendicular

upright freezer

2 : marked by strong moral rectitude

an upright citizen

—

uprightly

adverb

—

uprightness

noun

See upright defined for English-language learners

See upright defined for kids

Examples of upright in a Sentence

Put your seat back in the upright position.
The container should be kept upright to prevent leaks.

Recent Examples of upright from the Web

My client is a loving father, successful businessman, and upright member of the community.

— jodi guglielmi, PEOPLE.com, "Thomas Ravenel Accused of Sexually Assaulting Nanny While His Baby Daughter Slept Nearby," 14 May 2018
Outside is a new upright front fascia highlighted by a chrome-wing front grille positioned above a large air intake.

— g. chambers williams iii, star-telegram, "All-new Honda Accord debuts for 2018 with its first-ever turbocharged engines | Fort Worth Star-Telegram," 12 May 2018
In his preparations, Mr. Suotamo studied the earlier films, practicing Chewbacca’s dog-like head movements and steady, upright gait in front of a mirror.

— darryn king, WSJ, "The New Chewbacca Is a Hug Magnet," 10 May 2018
It’s more of an oversized fleece scarf, outfitted with a removable internal plastic frame that wraps around the neck and velcros securely to hold the head upright weightlessly without impacting your shoulder, like a very friendly and helpful ghost.

— carly fisher, GQ, "The TRTL Is a Travel Pillow That Doesn't Make You Look Goofy," 10 May 2018
Magnetic brakes slow the train just before a near-vertical twisting descent that leads into a non-inverting loop that keeps riders upright throughout the loop.

— brady macdonald, sandiegouniontribune.com, "SeaWorld’s Electric Eel coaster squeezes a lot of excitement into a tight space," 10 May 2018
Mom will appreciate the step-through design, upright seating, memory-foam saddle and spring seat post, the latter of which makes those bumps and uneven paths easier to handle.

— sarah sekula, Fox News, "Mother's Day gifts your active, adventurous, outdoorsy mom will love," 8 May 2018
This upright technique was the norm until around the late 19th century, when jockeys who tried the Martini-glass started winning.

— lacy schley, Discover Magazine, "Digging Into Derby Day," 8 May 2018
Auerbach was joined on stage by a band that featured Cathy Grady on fiddle, viola and acoustic guitar; her husband, Michael Grady, on electric guitar; keyboardist Russell Flanagan; upright bassist Kevin Martinez; and drummer Danny Tommy Jenkins.

— chuck yarborough, cleveland.com, "Chuck Auerbach follows in the footsteps of his Black Keys son with Beachland gig (concert review)," 4 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'upright.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of upright

before 12th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

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upright Synonyms

Synonym Discussion of upright

upright, honest, just, conscientious, scrupulous, honorable mean having or showing a strict regard for what is morally right. upright implies a strict adherence to moral principles.

- a stern and upright minister

honest stresses adherence to such virtues as truthfulness, candor, or fairness.

- known for being honest in business dealings

just stresses conscious choice and regular practice of what is right or equitable.

- workers given just compensation

conscientious and scrupulous imply an active moral sense governing all one's actions and painstaking efforts to follow one's conscience.

- conscientious in the completion of her assignments
- scrupulous in carrying out the terms of the will

honorable suggests a firm holding to codes of right behavior and the guidance of a high sense of honor and duty.

- a difficult but honorable decision

upright

adverb

Definition of upright

: vertically upward : in an upright position

Recent Examples of upright from the Web

Measuring Spoons Chef's Knife Rimmed Baking Sheet Preheat oven to 450°. Place 3 bell peppers upright on a cutting board.

— lauren schaefer, Bon Appetit, "Roasted Peppers with Parm Breadcrumbs," 7 May 2018
Turn the cup back upright, positioning the handle due south.

— aliza kelly faragher, Allure, "Your Essential Guide to Tasseography, the Practice of Reading Tea Leaves," 7 May 2018
In a photo shared on Twitter, Mercy — who was first photographed as an infant in the Mediterranean sun moments after her birth — is seen standing upright and beaming and wearing a red sweater with a teddy bear on the front.

— william lee adams, Billboard, "Madame Monsieur's 'Mercy': How a Newborn Refugee Inspired France's Eurovision Song Entry," 26 Apr. 2018
If your fest friend keeps repeating herself, slurs, or has any trouble walking or standing upright, cut it out.

— beca grimm, GQ, "9 Tips For Having a Happy, Clean, Consensual Music Festival Hookup," 20 Apr. 2018
That reveals a flexible adaptation that allowed Ardi to walk upright efficiently but still power up trees, Pontzer says.

— ann gibbons, Science | AAAS, "Our tree-climbing human ancestors could walk upright like us, study of chimps and other primates shows," 2 Apr. 2018
Lucy lived over 3 million years ago and her remains helped scientists establish that humans became bipeds, that is, walked upright, much earlier than previously thought.

— daniel r. taylor, Philly.com, "Medical mystery: The toddler who walked like an old man," 13 Apr. 2018
That’s the challenge of keeping legends upright all along Main Street.

— grace schneider, The Courier-Journal, "In Slugger's Walk of Fame, the bats of baseball's biggest stars take a big beating," 11 Apr. 2018
Books lined shelves in the living room, dishes leaned upright in a drainer in the kitchen, clothes hung in bedroom closets.

— martin kuz, San Antonio Express-News, "After the hurricane, the storm within," 9 Apr. 2018

First Known Use of upright

12th century

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

upright

noun

Definition of upright

1 : the state of being upright : perpendicular

a pillar out of upright

2 : something that stands upright; especially : a football goalpost —usually used in plural

3 : upright piano

See upright defined for English-language learners

Examples of upright in a Sentence

The uprights of the structure were embedded in concrete.

Recent Examples of upright from the Web

Keeping your back straight, bend forward at the hips until upright.

— danielle lerner, The Courier-Journal, "I tried to row with the Louisville Cardinals and nearly broke the boat," 11 May 2018
This shot first appeared in the film’s second trailer, showing New York City upside-down and then rotating upright, indicating our heroes’ world is about to get crazy.

— valerie kalfrin, The Hollywood Reporter, "The Shot Turning the Marvel Universe Upside Down," 5 May 2018
Back in Ohio, at the top of the quarterback list on the Browns’ magnetic draft board, Dorsey turned the magnetic rectangular quarterback nametags upright.

— peter king, SI.com, "2018 Draft: Magnets, Mayfield and the Browns’ Big Secret," 30 Apr. 2018
Piper sat upright in bed, stunned to hear his agent.

— the oregonian/oregonlive, OregonLive.com, "Chuck Palahniuk has a new satirical novel, 'Adjustment Day': Read an excerpt," 30 Apr. 2018
One man died Wednesday in an early morning crash near George Bush Intercontinental Airport that left his car upright, rooted in the ground.

— samantha ketterer, Houston Chronicle, "Man dies in wreck near Bush Intercontinental Airport," 18 Apr. 2018
At least four people step back after pushing the SUV upright, while another helps an officer drag a man away from the smoldering scene.

— ashley may, USA TODAY, "Good Samaritans roll burning car off of trapped driver in police-released video," 22 Mar. 2018
An arriving officer located the man, who was sitting upright.

— john benson, cleveland.com, "Man steals more than $430 worth of deodorant from Walmart: Brooklyn Police Blotter," 1 Feb. 2018
Kids’ Extra Point Kick: Test your ability to kick a field goal through scaled down NFL uprights.

— david humphrey, star-telegram, "Here's your Texas-style 2018 NFL Draft guide | Fort Worth Star-Telegram," 20 Apr. 2018

First Known Use of upright

1683

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

UPRIGHT Defined for English Language Learners

upright

adjective

Definition of upright for English Language Learners

: positioned to be straight up
—used to describe something that is tall rather than wide
: always behaving in an honest way : having high moral standards

upright

noun

Definition of upright for English Language Learners

: a board or pole placed in a vertical position to support something

UPRIGHT Defined for Kids

upright

adjective up·right \ ˈəp-ˌrīt \

Definition of upright for Students

1 : ¹vertical

an upright post

2 : straight in posture

3 : having or showing high moral standards

—

uprightly

adverb

Synonym Discussion of upright

upright, honest, and just mean having or showing a great concern for what is right. upright means having high moral standards in all areas of life.

- She's an upright person and an example to us all.

honest means dealing with others in a fair and truthful way.

- He is an honest merchant who wouldn't cheat anyone.

just is used when a person's fairness comes from both conscious choice and habit.

- The principal is just to all students.

upright

adverb

Definition of upright for Students

: in or into a vertical position

… careful to keep it upright, he held a wooden object above their heads.
—Mary Norton, The Borrowers

Learn More about upright

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for upright Spanish Central: Translation of upright Nglish: Translation of upright for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of upright for Arabic speakers

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upright

Definition of upright

uprightly

uprightness

Examples of upright in a Sentence

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First Known Use of upright

upright Synonyms

Synonyms

Antonyms

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Synonym Discussion of upright

upright

Definition of upright

Recent Examples of upright from the Web

First Known Use of upright

upright

Definition of upright

Examples of upright in a Sentence

Recent Examples of upright from the Web

First Known Use of upright

Phrases Related to UPRIGHT

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UPRIGHT Defined for English Language Learners

upright

Definition of upright for English Language Learners

upright

Definition of upright for English Language Learners

UPRIGHT Defined for Kids

upright

Definition of upright for Students

uprightly

Synonym Discussion of upright

upright

Definition of upright for Students

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