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Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective upright differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of upright are conscientious, honest, honorable, just, and scrupulous. While all these words mean "having or showing a strict regard for what is morally right," upright implies a strict adherence to moral principles.

a stern and upright minister

How are the words conscientious and scrupulous related as synonyms of upright?

Both conscientious and scrupulous imply an active moral sense governing all one's actions and painstaking efforts to follow one's conscience.

conscientious in the completion of her assignments
scrupulous in carrying out the terms of the will

When might honest be a better fit than upright?

In some situations, the words honest and upright are roughly equivalent. However, honest stresses adherence to such virtues as truthfulness, candor, or fairness.

known for being honest in business dealings

When can honorable be used instead of upright?

The synonyms honorable and upright are sometimes interchangeable, but honorable suggests a firm holding to codes of right behavior and the guidance of a high sense of honor and duty.

a difficult but honorable decision

When is just a more appropriate choice than upright?

While in some cases nearly identical to upright, just stresses conscious choice and regular practice of what is right or equitable.

workers given just compensation

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of upright SpaceX thrives on this—stacking small wins like upright landings into historic breakthroughs. Adam Levine, Forbes.com, 21 Apr. 2025 These moves all strengthen muscles on the front of your body, including the chest, abs and hip flexors, without addressing muscles on the back of your body that help support upright posture, such as the mid back, glutes and hamstrings. Dana Santas, CNN Money, 18 Apr. 2025 The adjustable back reclines from upright to fully flat, and its cushions attach in three places to keep them secure. Miles Walls, Better Homes & Gardens, 17 Apr. 2025 Some home remedies may help relieve discomfort, including OTC pain relievers, warm compresses, upright sleeping, and hydration. Sherri Gordon, Health, 16 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for upright
Recent Examples of Synonyms for upright
Adjective
  • Court documents show Blankenship has been employed by the city since 2006 following his honorable discharge from the Coast Guard.
    Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 11 Apr. 2025
  • White Painted Woman was a model of heroism and honorable womanhood: When evil monsters were hunting the Apache people, the White Painted Woman gave birth to a son who would destroy the creatures to help make Earth inhabitable for humanity.
    Alejandra Rubio, NPR, 29 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • This was an honest error and was not intentional in any way.
    Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 24 Apr. 2025
  • But only if leaders have the appetite for that kind of honest data.
    Aparna Rae, Forbes.com, 24 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • The artwork resembles the shell of a room that is unravelled to form a flat, vertical structure, like a deconstructed box.
    Megan Williams, CNN Money, 1 May 2025
  • Look for spaces in your home that are unfinished, such as the basement or garage, where vertical storage won’t feel out of place.
    Kristine Gill, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 May 2025
Adjective
  • Despite all of that, as the legislature enters the final weeks of its spring session, strengthening the state’s ethical safeguards doesn’t appear to be anywhere near the top of the agenda in Springfield.
    Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 28 Apr. 2025
  • His relationship evolved from setting firm boundaries to setting ethical guardrails, offering context, and supporting his autonomy with curiosity and love.
    Rebekah Bastian, Forbes.com, 28 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • At least the fielding has looked respectable (ninth in defensive efficiency) and the pitching staff mostly holds its own.
    Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 25 Apr. 2025
  • The definitions of what’s crazy, what’s malicious, what’s polite, normal, and respectable all lost some of their force.
    Michael Brendan Dougherty, National Review, 25 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Abrego García, 29, was deported on March 15 despite a standing immigration court ruling from 2019 barring his removal to El Salvador due to credible threats from gangs targeting his family’s pupusa business.
    Nik Popli, Time, 11 Apr. 2025
  • Read Next World Local’s theory about ancient standing stone in UK forest turns out to be true.
    Aspen Pflughoeft, Miami Herald, 2 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • It’s made of a tarp-like material that feels pretty durable and the lid zippers, which is nice to contain smells.
    Sara Coughlin, SELF, 22 Apr. 2025
  • Ice is not nice The ice at American Airlines Center was a huge problem in Game 2, with players on both teams falling down left and right.
    Mark Lazerus, New York Times, 22 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • As the film progresses, this wide-eyed curiosity shifts to righteous indignation, but these reactions are muddled by her feelings for Basem.
    Hannah Giorgis, The Atlantic, 11 Apr. 2025
  • The book extends a rickety rope bridge between psychological shame—the I-must-bury-my-face kind that follows when one is caught being stupid, horny, or poor—and patriotic shame, which fells those in power with its righteous anger.
    Dan Piepenbring, Harpers Magazine, 28 Mar. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Upright.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/upright. Accessed 4 May. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on upright

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