upstairs

1 of 3

adverb

up·​stairs ˌəp-ˈsterz 

1

: up the stairs : on or to a higher floor

2

: to or at a high altitude or higher position

kicked upstairs to company management

3

: in the head : intellectually

a little slow upstairs

—Tom Clancy

upstairs

2 of 3

adjective

up·​stairs ˈəp-ˈsterz 

: situated above the stairs especially on an upper floor

an upstairs bedroom

upstairs

3 of 3

noun

up·​stairs ˈəp-ˈsterz 

ˈəp-ˌsterz

plural in form but singular or plural in construction

: the part of a building above the ground floor

Examples of upstairs in a Sentence

Adverb

When you go upstairs, bring these towels with you.

She was on her way upstairs when she heard a car drive up.

Adjective

You can use the upstairs bathroom.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adverb

His business partner, Vahid (Vahid Mobbaseri), is upstairs on the phone, talking to a relative. —David Fear, Rolling Stone, 16 Oct. 2025

All the girls’ rooms were upstairs, opening off a balcony that circled a large inner courtyard, so everyone could see everyone, a panopticon nobody wanted in ugly cream vinyl tile. —Literary Hub, 15 Oct. 2025

Adjective

While the restaurant has a tiny upstairs salon, the best way to enjoy Borsam's lahmacun is perched on a stool inside or outside by a window, watching the vibrant foot traffic of the neighborhoods pass by. —Katie Nadworny, Travel + Leisure, 18 Oct. 2025

On Sunday, June 7, 1936, the body of seventy-year-old Lischia Edwards, a widow and mother to a University of Kentucky professor, was found dead in her upstairs apartment in Owensboro. —Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2025

Noun

The pair aimed for more of the same upstairs. —Betsy Cribb Watson, Southern Living, 7 Oct. 2025

And constant headaches coming from upstairs. —David Hudnall, Kansas City Star, 2 Oct. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Adverb

1584, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1782, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1842, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing upstairs

• kick upstairs
• man upstairs
• the man upstairs
• the upstairs

Rhymes for upstairs

• affaires
• affairs
• armchairs
• bulgars
• compares
• crosshairs
• declares
• despairs
• downstairs
• forbears
• forebears
• housewares

Kids Definition

upstairs

1 of 3 adverb

up·​stairs ˈəp-ˈsta(ə)rz 

-ˈste(ə)rz

1

: up the stairs : to or on a higher floor

2

: to or at a higher position or level

upstairs

2 of 3 adjective

up·​stairs ˈəp-ˈsta(ə)rz 

-ˈste(ə)rz

: located on an upper floor

the upstairs bedroom

upstairs

3 of 3 noun

up·​stairs ˈəp-ˈsta(ə)rz  -ˈste(ə)rz 

ˈəp-ˌsta(ə)rz,

-ˌste(ə)rz

: the part of a building above the ground floor