1
a
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
: vertically upward : in an upright position
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
Synonyms
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
Deanna Pai, Glamour, 21 Nov. 2023
The price point is very reasonable for a powerful upright vacuum.
—Camryn Rabideau, Peoplemag, 14 Nov. 2023
In addition, caterpillars of azure and swallowtail butterflies move off their host plants during the autumn, in search of upright stalks to keep their chrysalises off the ground.
—Tovah Martin, Washington Post, 30 Oct. 2023
The concept shown this week differs slightly from the concept demoed at Lenovo Tech World '16 in that it can be arched or bent into an upright position.
—Scharon Harding, Ars Technica, 25 Oct. 2023
Price at time of publication: $40 For those of us without a bathtub to soak in—or just anyone who prefers to bathe in an upright position— these steamers bring the luxurious aroma of a bath straight into the shower.
—Chaunie Brusie, Rn, Bsn, Parents, 3 Nov. 2023
Plus, the dresser is plenty stable thanks to the steel tubes that keep it upright.
—Amy Schulman, Peoplemag, 28 Oct. 2023
This stand is ideal for keeping most cookbooks and tablets upright and visible during cooking.
—Rebecca Jones, Southern Living, 25 Oct. 2023
Vacuum earned the spot as the best overall upright vacuum after our testing.
—Brandi Fuller, Better Homes & Gardens, 9 Oct. 2023
Stephen Smith, CBS News, 20 Nov. 2023
The texture is just a matter of piping dyed frosting onto the chilled cakes propped upright in sugar.
—Su-Jit Lin, Better Homes & Gardens, 14 Nov. 2023
This wooden rowing machine has a big fan following for its sculptural design and high-quality functionality, plus it can be folded and stored upright.
—Erica Finamore, wsj.com, 12 Nov. 2023
Over 40 percent of the Lucy skeleton was preserved, which helped reinforce the theory that hominids from this period walked upright, perhaps to carry food and infants.
—Amiah Taylor, Discover Magazine, 28 Sep. 2023
Here, the power lift function is de-emphasized by the Wells’ style-first design—the giveaway is a simple remote that lifts, lowers, reclines, or moves the chair upright at the push of a button—and a handy side pocket that gives you a place to stash it.
—Kristina McGuirk, Better Homes & Gardens, 31 Oct. 2023
Cons This bottle dented a bit when dropped, but the bottle continued to stand upright and did not leak.
—Alyssa Brascia, Peoplemag, 6 Oct. 2023
But Josh Allen and the Bills had just enough time to get in scoring position again, and Tyler Bass’ 50-yard kick hit the left upright before going over the crossbar to tie it at 16 with 2 seconds left in regulation.
—Mark Heim | Mheim@al.com, al, 12 Sep. 2023
There's also a handy mirror that comes out and sits upright on a flat surface for on-the-go application and touch-ups.
—Theresa Holland, Travel + Leisure, 26 Oct. 2023
Ben Bolch, Los Angeles Times, 29 Oct. 2023
Jake Elliott’s 48-yard field goal attempt bonked off the left upright and over the bar to give the Eagles a 22-14 lead with 13:21 left in the fourth quarter.
—Ben Volin, BostonGlobe.com, 10 Sep. 2023
The kick hit the right upright and bounced through.
—Evan Frank, The Indianapolis Star, 2 Sep. 2023
The connected app interface tracks the user’s posture improvement over seven days and provides helpful visuals on what percentage of their day is spent slouching vs. upright.
—Cai Cramer, Peoplemag, 6 Oct. 2023
Michael attended Friday’s game, cheering with Peabody fans each time his grandson booted a kick through the uprights.
—Matt Doherty, BostonGlobe.com, 10 Sep. 2023
At the same time, bring arms forward and keep the torso upright.
—Andi Breitowich, Women's Health, 9 Aug. 2023
Seated Figure Four Stretch Sit upright on a bench or chair and cross one leg on top of the other, resting your ankle on the thigh of the supporting leg.
—Kells McPhillips, Outside Online, 3 Apr. 2023
Arkansas drove into field-goal range with its next possession, but Cam Little's 49-yard try hit the right upright and fell away.
—Tom Murphy, Arkansas Online, 17 Sep. 2023
See More
Adjective
This upright vacuum works on both your home and pets.
—Deanna Pai, Glamour, 21 Nov. 2023
The price point is very reasonable for a powerful upright vacuum.
—Camryn Rabideau, Peoplemag, 14 Nov. 2023
In addition, caterpillars of azure and swallowtail butterflies move off their host plants during the autumn, in search of upright stalks to keep their chrysalises off the ground.
—Tovah Martin, Washington Post, 30 Oct. 2023
The concept shown this week differs slightly from the concept demoed at Lenovo Tech World '16 in that it can be arched or bent into an upright position.
—Scharon Harding, Ars Technica, 25 Oct. 2023
Price at time of publication: $40 For those of us without a bathtub to soak in—or just anyone who prefers to bathe in an upright position— these steamers bring the luxurious aroma of a bath straight into the shower.
—Chaunie Brusie, Rn, Bsn, Parents, 3 Nov. 2023
Plus, the dresser is plenty stable thanks to the steel tubes that keep it upright.
—Amy Schulman, Peoplemag, 28 Oct. 2023
This stand is ideal for keeping most cookbooks and tablets upright and visible during cooking.
—Rebecca Jones, Southern Living, 25 Oct. 2023
Vacuum earned the spot as the best overall upright vacuum after our testing.
—Brandi Fuller, Better Homes & Gardens, 9 Oct. 2023
Adverb
The roughly 100-foot-long wreck sits upright on the bottom in 600 feet of water, the company said.
—Stephen Smith, CBS News, 20 Nov. 2023
The texture is just a matter of piping dyed frosting onto the chilled cakes propped upright in sugar.
—Su-Jit Lin, Better Homes & Gardens, 14 Nov. 2023
This wooden rowing machine has a big fan following for its sculptural design and high-quality functionality, plus it can be folded and stored upright.
—Erica Finamore, wsj.com, 12 Nov. 2023
Over 40 percent of the Lucy skeleton was preserved, which helped reinforce the theory that hominids from this period walked upright, perhaps to carry food and infants.
—Amiah Taylor, Discover Magazine, 28 Sep. 2023
Here, the power lift function is de-emphasized by the Wells’ style-first design—the giveaway is a simple remote that lifts, lowers, reclines, or moves the chair upright at the push of a button—and a handy side pocket that gives you a place to stash it.
—Kristina McGuirk, Better Homes & Gardens, 31 Oct. 2023
Cons This bottle dented a bit when dropped, but the bottle continued to stand upright and did not leak.
—Alyssa Brascia, Peoplemag, 6 Oct. 2023
But Josh Allen and the Bills had just enough time to get in scoring position again, and Tyler Bass’ 50-yard kick hit the left upright before going over the crossbar to tie it at 16 with 2 seconds left in regulation.
—Mark Heim | Mheim@al.com, al, 12 Sep. 2023
There's also a handy mirror that comes out and sits upright on a flat surface for on-the-go application and touch-ups.
—Theresa Holland, Travel + Leisure, 26 Oct. 2023
Noun
There was also a special-teams miscue when UCLA kicker R.J. Lopez bounced a 24-yard field-goal attempt off the left upright, his third consecutive miss and fifth in his last eight tries since the team switched holders this month.
—Ben Bolch, Los Angeles Times, 29 Oct. 2023
Jake Elliott’s 48-yard field goal attempt bonked off the left upright and over the bar to give the Eagles a 22-14 lead with 13:21 left in the fourth quarter.
—Ben Volin, BostonGlobe.com, 10 Sep. 2023
The kick hit the right upright and bounced through.
—Evan Frank, The Indianapolis Star, 2 Sep. 2023
The connected app interface tracks the user’s posture improvement over seven days and provides helpful visuals on what percentage of their day is spent slouching vs. upright.
—Cai Cramer, Peoplemag, 6 Oct. 2023
Michael attended Friday’s game, cheering with Peabody fans each time his grandson booted a kick through the uprights.
—Matt Doherty, BostonGlobe.com, 10 Sep. 2023
At the same time, bring arms forward and keep the torso upright.
—Andi Breitowich, Women's Health, 9 Aug. 2023
Seated Figure Four Stretch Sit upright on a bench or chair and cross one leg on top of the other, resting your ankle on the thigh of the supporting leg.
—Kells McPhillips, Outside Online, 3 Apr. 2023
Arkansas drove into field-goal range with its next possession, but Cam Little's 49-yard try hit the right upright and fell away.
—Tom Murphy, Arkansas Online, 17 Sep. 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'upright.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Phrases Containing upright
Dictionary Entries Near upright
Cite this Entry
“Upright.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/upright. Accessed 30 Nov. 2023.
Copy Citation
Kids Definition
upright
1 of 2 adjective
up·right
ˈəp-ˌrīt 
1
a
: vertical entry 1 sense 2
an upright posture
b
: having the main axis or a main part perpendicular
2
: living by high moral standards : honorable
uprightness
noun
upright
2 of 2 noun1
: an upright or vertical position
2
: something upright
More from Merriam-Webster on upright
Nglish: Translation of upright for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of upright for Arabic Speakers
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