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

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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

But the cost to generate that growth is going upward as well—at a faster clip. — Dan Gallagher, WSJ, "Big Tech’s Growth Comes With a Big Bill," 17 July 2018 My goal this year is to keep that trajectory going upward. — Brendan Marks, charlotteobserver, "NASCAR: William Byron can’t yet ‘set the world on fire,’ but that will help in long run | Charlotte Observer," 21 Mar. 2018 Gather each curl from the bottom around your index finger, roll it upward, and flatten it onto your scalp. — Glamour, "How to Keep Curls Overnight Without Losing Their Shape," 14 May 2019 The Labor Department reported on Friday that the U.S. economy added 196,000 jobs in March—more than the 175,000 economists predicted—and also revised January and February figures upward by a net 14,000 jobs. — Justin Lahart, WSJ, "Stock Investors Should Love This Jobs Report," 5 Apr. 2019 Last year, the research firm had predicted a 22 percent rise in people who have canceled their pay TV service, but have since had to revise that estimate upward. — Rani Molla, Recode, "Partnering with Netflix and Hulu hasn’t stopped pay TV providers from losing customers," 24 July 2018 However, an initial loss of 1,400 jobs in April was revised upward, to a drop of 1,900 jobs. — Stephen Singer, courant.com, "State: Retail, Financial Services Helped Boost Connecticut Job Growth In May," 14 June 2018 The latest numbers from Visit Florida were slightly revised upward, using input from Statistic Canada, since first posted on March 20. — Jim Turner, OrlandoSentinel.com, "'Warm, welcoming message' to Canada pays off for Florida tourism," 23 Apr. 2018 The quake's strength was revised upward from initial estimates of magnitude 5.0. — Peter Martinez, CBS News, "Magnitude 5.3 earthquake hits off Southern California coast, shaking Los Angeles," 5 Apr. 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective

In several ways, our bodies are still on the upward curve of development — even our menstrual cycles maybe more regular than in our teens! — and our brains and bones are growing to their full potential. — Nicole Saporita, Good Housekeeping, "The Science of How Your Body Ages," 29 May 2019 Using a flat rose quartz tool, or in Plug's case, a traditional Chinese bian smooth stone, facial gua sha tones and lifts the face through gentle, upward strokes over the skin to relax stiff muscles and promote tissue drainage. — Prue Lewington, Harper's BAZAAR, "Women Are Giving Up Botox for Facial Massage," 23 May 2019 But the persistent upward drift this year has offered bargain hunters few such chances. — Asjylyn Loder, WSJ, "‘Buy the Dip’ Stalls as Sidelined Investors Hunt for Bargains," 7 May 2019 Determining the final stopping point for the runoff of the balance sheet will depend in part on how low reserves can fall before putting upward pressure on the Fed’s benchmark policy rate. — Nick Timiraos, WSJ, "Fed’s Balance-Sheet Runoff Could End in Latter Half of 2019," 22 Feb. 2019 Sometimes, the deep shadows completely blanketed his eyes all the way to his bleached brows or jutted upward in sharp winged shapes. — Devon Abelman, Allure, "Why Taemin Won't Apologize For His Androgynous Aesthetic Anymore," 15 Mar. 2019 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

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

7 Jun 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