ˌʌpˈgreɪd
upgrades; upgraded; upgrading
1
a
: to make (something) better by including the most recent information or improvements
This course will help you to upgrade your computer skills.
Airports have upgraded security.
They've upgraded the quality of their service.
The city is upgrading the sewage treatment plant.
The office is upgrading the telephone system.
They upgraded the hotel to attract more business patrons.
b
: to choose to have or use something more modern, useful, etc.
—often + to
You might want to upgrade to a cable modem.
We reserved a compact car, with the option of upgrading to a midsize car.
2
: to get something (such as a seat on an airplane or a room in a hotel) that is better than what you had originally
—often + to
We were able to upgrade to first class.
Our seats were upgraded to first class. [=we were given first-class seats]
We had reserved a double room, but the hotel upgraded us to a suite.
3
: to give (someone or something) a higher rank or grade
—often + to
They upgraded my job classification to level four, which means I get a pay increase.
The restaurant was upgraded from three to four stars.
The storm has been upgraded to a hurricane.
The doctors upgraded the patient's condition from "serious" to "good."
plural upgrades
1
: an area or surface that goes upward : an upward slope
a slight upgrade in the roadway
a gradual upgrade
2
: an occurrence in which one thing is replaced by something better, newer, more valuable, etc.
software/system upgrades
The hotel offered us a room upgrade.
seat upgrades
Cite this Entry
“Upgrade.” Merriam-Webster.com Simple Definition, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/simple/upgrade. Accessed 16 Apr. 2026.
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