upward

adverb

up·ward | \ ˈəp-wərd

variants: or upwards \ ˈəp-wərdz

Definition of upward

(Entry 1 of 2)

1a : in a direction from lower to higher the kite rose upward

b(1) : toward the source (as of a river)

(2) : toward the interior (as of a region)

c : in a higher position held out his hand, palm upward

d : in the upper parts : toward the head : above from the waist upward

2 : toward a higher or better condition or level young lawyers moving upward

3a : to an indefinitely greater amount, figure, or rank from $5 upward

b : toward a greater amount or higher number, degree, or rate attendance figures have risen upward

4 : toward or into later years from youth upward

upward

adjective

Definition of upward (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : directed toward or situated in a higher place or level : ascending

2 : rising to a higher pitch

Other Words from upward More Example Sentences Learn More about upward

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Examples of upward in a Sentence

Adverb

The road gradually rose upward. She directed my gaze upward. They are moving upward socially and economically. moving upward in the corporate world

Adjective

an upward revision of the vote tally

Recent Examples on the Web: Adverb

Anderson said that one storm will move across the Great Lakes and New England, while the other will begin from the Gulf of Mexico and move upward. — Jennifer Aldrich, Country Living, "The First Major Snowstorm of 2019 Will Hit a Large Part of the Country This Weekend," 8 Jan. 2019 Rocks moving upward through the mantle beneath Hawaii begin to melt about 50 miles beneath the surface. — Anchorage Daily News, "‘A very fast-moving situation’: Lava shoots through Hawaii neighborhood as new fissures form," 6 May 2018 Rocks moving upward through the mantle beneath Hawaii begin to melt about 50 miles beneath the surface. — Amy B Wang, Washington Post, "‘A very fast-moving situation’: Lava shoots through Hawaii neighborhood as new fissures form," 6 May 2018 Be sure to glance upward for a sense of the scale of this seasoned vessel and its soaring masts, and take narrow steps down to the top three lower decks and peek into the commanding officer’s quarters. — Elizabeth Wellington, Condé Nast Traveler, "12 Best Museums in Boston You'll Want To Visit," 17 July 2018 Use the tips or pads to press upward, into his body. — Redbook, "33 Sexy Places to Touch Your Guy," 30 Oct. 2017 The Sharara oil field’s capture and possible return to operations come as oil markets grapple with U.S. embargo sanctions on Venezuelan crude, which has put upward pressure on oil prices. — Jared Malsin, WSJ, "Libyan Commander Seizes Shuttered Oil Field," 6 Feb. 2019 Your larger-than-usual uterus can also crowd your stomach and thrust digestive acids upward, creating heartburn in the process. — Korin Miller, SELF, "7 Ways to Make Sleep More Comfortable When You’re Pregnant," 31 Jan. 2019 There appears to be some heat blur behind the engine, radiating upward, to indicate that the aircraft’s turbofan engine is active. — Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, "This Is Russia’s First Autonomous Strike Drone," 25 Jan. 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective

Thankfully, my children manage to grow on an upward curve despite their finicky tastes. — Michelle Ruiz, Vogue, "Picky Eaters? For Parents, Food-Shaming Is All Too Real," 28 Jan. 2019 Then again, plenty of opportunity for upward movement exists in a division stocked with mediocrity. — Jon Wilner Pac-12 Hotline, The Seattle Times, "Way-too-early Pac-12 football predictions: Can Washington rule the North once again?," 23 Jan. 2019 Acer Other features of note include a pair of upward-facing speakers that flank the keyboard, and the use of a pair of USB-C ports for charging and display. — Mark Hachman, PCWorld, "Acer's Chromebook 315 pairs an AMD processor with a 15.6-inch display for as low as $279.99," 6 Jan. 2019 While novel and very nicely integrated with the upward swipe to unlock the phone, this slider setup does make the phone more vulnerable to malfunction and susceptible to dust and water ingress. — Vlad Savov, The Verge, "2018 was a weird notch year — what’s next?," 18 Dec. 2018 Speaking of upward motion, a huge event occurs on Thursday, November 8, when Jupiter (the planet of luck and expansion) moves into like-minded, fiery Sagittarius. — Aliza Kelly Faragher, Allure, "What November's Leo Horoscope Means for You," 28 Oct. 2018 Drew Angerer/Getty Images After years of an upward trajectory in the wake of the financial crisis, Wall Street has become unpredictable again. — Emily Stewart, Vox, "What’s wrong with the stock market right now, explained," 18 Dec. 2018 Meanwhile, according to Bloomberg, corporate profits have been approaching record highs after a steady upward trend from the Great Depression of the 1930s. — Lucy Diavolo, Teen Vogue, "Elizabeth Warren Called Out the "Rigged" U.S. Economic System During an HBCU Commencement Speech," 17 Dec. 2018 But even as the Seattle-area economy picked up steam toward the beginning of this decade, the age of first-time mothers continued on its upward trend. — Gene Balk / Fyi Guy, The Seattle Times, "In King County, more women are waiting to have kids. So what’s driving the trend?," 13 Aug. 2018

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

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Last Updated

15 Mar 2019

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Time Traveler for upward

The first known use of upward was before the 12th century

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More Definitions for upward

upward

adverb

English Language Learners Definition of upward

(Entry 1 of 2)

: from a lower place or level to a higher place or level

: toward the ceiling, sky, etc.

: toward a higher or better condition or position

upward

adjective

English Language Learners Definition of upward (Entry 2 of 2)

: moving or going from a lower place or level to a higher place or level

: moving or going toward the ceiling, sky, etc.

: changing to a larger amount or higher number

See the full definition for upward in the English Language Learners Dictionary

upward

adverb

up·ward | \ ˈəp-wərd

variants: or upwards \ -wərdz \

Kids Definition of upward

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : in a direction from lower to higher The balloon floated upward.

2 : toward a higher or better state

3 : toward a greater amount or a higher number or rate

4 : toward the head From the waist upwards he was like a man, but his legs were shaped like a goat's …— C. S. Lewis, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe