upright

adjective

up·right | \ˈəp-ˌrīt

Definition of upright

(Entry 1 of 3)

1a : 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

upright

adverb

Definition of upright (Entry 2 of 3)

: vertically upward : in an upright position

upright

noun

Definition of upright (Entry 3 of 3)

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

Other Words from upright Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about upright

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Choose the Right Synonym for upright

Adjective

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

Adjective

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.

Examples of upright in a Sentence

Adjective

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

Noun

The uprights of the structure were embedded in concrete.

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective

Cooper said the gravestone will be upright with a description of Whedbee's achievements as well as her husband's. — Emma Austin, The Courier-Journal, "'Trailblazer': First black policewoman may finally get her gravestone," 22 June 2018 Both were upright and facing right—although Choke Canyon presented evidence to the contrary. — Gabrielle Banks, Houston Chronicle, "The finer points of Buc-ee’s case that convinced jury of Choke Canyon’s trademark breach," 23 May 2018 The EcoSport's cargo area is very shallow and upright compared to the Kona's. — Mark Takahashi, Edmunds, USA TODAY, "Edmunds compares subcompact crossover SUVs Hyundai Kona and Ford EcoSport," 29 June 2018 Store the beans upright in a jar with a half-inch of rum or vodka to keep them moist. — Carole Kotkin, miamiherald, "There's nothing vanilla about cooking with fragrant, homemade vanilla," 13 June 2018 Several sedges grow in local lawns and tend to be the greenest, skinniest and most upright of the weeds. — Tom Maccubbin, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Keep corn feeders in check with natural sprays," 21 Apr. 2018 Tomatoes are trained to grow upright by tying them to stakes. — Dan Gill, NOLA.com, "Tomato-growing tips: what type to plant, when and how to plant them," 10 Mar. 2018 When the planet sits more upright, the Poles get less total time in the sun than when the planet is tilted over more. — Chris J. Ratcliffe, National Geographic, "This Summer Solstice, Earth's Days Are Longer Than Ever," 20 June 2018 The Frenchman must have been mightily relieved to see his misdirected clearance rebound to safety off the upright. — SI.com, "Juventus Blows Away AC Milan in Second Half to Win 4th Straight Coppa Italia," 9 May 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Adverb

Finally—finally—the Colts decided to truly invest in an offensive line that can keep Andrew Luck upright. — Tim Rohan, SI.com, "AFC South Offseason Report Cards: Jaguars Get Stronger, Titans Get Defensive, Texans Need Health and Colts Need Luck," 12 June 2018 The toe bones in children are curved while adults are not, meaning kids could walk upright but also gripped either trees or their mothers, researchers found. — Lilly Price, USA TODAY, "Ape-like toddlers climbed trees 3.3 million years ago, fossil suggests," 5 July 2018 Line the steamer insert with a layer of husks, then arrange tamales upright in the steamer, open sides up. — Amanda Garrity, Woman's Day, "Strawberry Tamales," 11 June 2018 Sometimes Mars sits bolt upright, with no seasons to mention. — The Economist, "Empty sky, empty Earth?," 5 July 2018 The ride is butter-smooth over pavement, and though there's some extra body roll in the corners, the Lexus LX 570 doesn't feel sloppy; its suspension gets it back upright slowly rather than explosively. — Brian Wong, USA TODAY, "Review: Lexus LX 570 is cool for old-school SUVs," 11 May 2018 The most common form, cervical dystonia, affects the neck, causing wobbling or worse, the inability to hold the head upright. — Sandee Lamotte, CNN, "The radio man without a voice," 15 June 2018 Human hands felled and peeled Douglas fir logs, pounded them upright into the stream bed, and wove a lattice of willow sticks through the posts. — Ben Goldfarb, Science | AAAS, "Beaver dams without beavers? Artificial logjams are a popular but controversial restoration tool," 7 June 2018 The design allows users to walk upright inside the walker, rather than holding the aid out in front. — Sarah Hauer, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "This isn't your grandma's walker. New Berlin's Motivo making a better walker with new financing.," 5 June 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

And companies decided that prompt action would be rewarded with an upright, responsible image for at least some of their key stakeholders. — Jason Miklian, Washington Post, "Here’s why #BoycottTheNRA worked so quickly," 28 Feb. 2018 Kicker Steven Gostowski bonged the extra point off an upright, but nailed the 33-yard field goal to bring the deficit down to 16, 28-12. — David J. Neal, miamiherald, "The long Super Bowl history of the New England Patriots | Miami Herald," 28 Jan. 2018 And guys who help keep Tom Brady (turning 41 in August) upright. 24. — Greg Cote, miamiherald, "Ready for a shock? Check out the pick for the Miami Dolphins | Miami Herald," 25 Apr. 2018 In the third quarter, Tennessee overcame its rookie punt returner’s lost fumble by stopping the Chiefs and watching the field-goal try hit an upright. — Tom Krasovic, sandiegouniontribune.com, "AFC wild-card round affirms Chargers* underachieved," 8 Jan. 2018 Spain settled into a comfortable but tedious passing rhythm, though they were nearly caught out when Golovin found space on the edge of the box and sent an effort just wide of the upright. — SI.com, "Spain 1-1 Russia (3-4 Pens): Hosts Shock La Roja on Penalties After Dogged Defensive Display," 1 July 2018 Spain settled into a comfortable but tedious passing rhythm, though they were nearly caught out when Golovin found space on the edge of the box and sent an effort just wide of the upright. — Sean Drury, Pro Soccer USA, "Spain 1-1 Russia (3-4 pens): Hosts shock La Roja in PKs after dogged defensive display," 1 July 2018 Bayer eventually was able to sit upright, and was given water at the police station. — Jared Gilmour, miamiherald, "Boy found ‘slobbering at the mouth’ in 94-degree car. Mom’s boyfriend forgot him, Ohio cops say," 30 May 2018 Manuel Pucciarelli also hit the upright as Chievo had several opportunities to take the lead in the first half. — Daniella Matar, chicagotribune.com, "Serie A Recap: Napoli beat Juventus, narrow league lead to one point," 22 Apr. 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.