UPRIGHT Synonyms: 164 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

upright

adjective

ˈəp-ˌrīt

Definition of upright

as in honorable

conforming to a high standard of morality or virtue an honest and upright people

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in honest

following the accepted rules of moral conduct informing the clerk that he had just given me back too much in change was the only upright thing to do

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in vertical

rising straight up only one pillar of the ruined temple remained upright

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 Patients are often required to stay upright for 30 minutes and avoid eating for up to an hour. — Theresa Gaffney, STAT, 23 Sep. 2026 Eve is designed to complement, not replace, a wheelchair, offering another mobility option for moments when users choose to be upright. — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 21 Sep. 2026 The pass protection that kept Manning upright against Ohio State all but disappeared, forcing him on the run time and again. — ABC News, 19 Sep. 2026 The hour captures Strings and his four-piece acoustic band — mandolin, upright bass, banjo and fiddle — in classic picking session formation, with a setlist that also includes selections from 2021’s Renewal. — Spin Staff, SPIN, 18 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for upright

Recent Examples of Synonyms for upright

Adjective

Too bad that New York’s LG Delgado didn’t take the same honorable path and walk away.

— New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 28 Sep. 2026
While some might argue that Murphy is an antihero, Hawke viewed him as an honorable man.

— Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 18 Sep. 2026

Definition of honorable

Adjective

Ask each business owner to absorb the run-rate at renewal, and the honest answer arrives faster than any dashboard.

— Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 2 Oct. 2026
Each episode, the brutally honest Ramsay comes in to help the struggling restaurant fix its problems or its negative image, and in turn the restaurants get publicity from being on a national television show.

— Katelyn Umholtz, Kansas City Star, 1 Oct. 2026

Definition of honest

Adjective

Move items off the counter and onto vertical surfaces, cabinet interiors, pantry doors and refrigerator sides so work zones stay clear.

— Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Miami Herald, 1 Oct. 2026
Rails, pegboards and magnetic strips open up vertical surfaces most people ignore.

— Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Kansas City Star, 1 Oct. 2026

Definition of vertical

Adjective

The Science and Technology in Society Forum is intended as a venue for leaders to discuss how to maximize the benefits of science and address ethical and safety issues.

— Jared Perlo, NBC news, 3 Oct. 2026
Warsh promised to be an independent leader, with high ethical standards, whom markets and the public could trust.

— Taylor Millard, The Washington Examiner, 3 Oct. 2026

Definition of ethical

Adjective

Nothing terribly exciting is happening inside this three-bedroom, but there’s lots of light and a respectable amount of space, and the beach is just a few minutes away.

— Nora Deligter, Curbed, 2 Oct. 2026
So there’s not that much to happen in the last two-thirds of the drama than for your ribs to be constantly nudged with the idea of how easily the most respectable citizens among us will give in to modest proposals and, indeed, murder.

— Chris Willman, Variety, 24 Sep. 2026

Definition of respectable

Adjective

Crucially, structures have matured past equity into standing credit facilities.

— Chris Koras, Sportico.com, 28 Sep. 2026
The 43-year-old right-hander, a 10-time All-Star and three-time Cy Young Award winner over 21 major league seasons, left the field for the final time, holding his daughter's hand, as the Comerica Park crowd gave him a standing ovation.

— ABC News, ABC News, 26 Sep. 2026

Definition of standing

Adjective

The woman and her children lived in the nice part of the house and the foster girls — three to five at a time — ate dinner separately in the basement.

— Joseph Shapiro, NPR, 3 Oct. 2026
In an era where millions of recipes are made for content consumption as much as actual consumption, traveling back in time for someone’s beloved 1970 banana bread recipe sounds pretty nice.

— Candy Hom, AJC.com, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of nice

Adjective

From labor struggles and lynching to desegregation, Murray served as the ethical voice of reason, directing Roosevelt to use her immensely powerful position on behalf of righteous causes.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 2 Oct. 2026
Danbi steals money from the church and ends up imprisoned, separated from her daughter (whom righteous John takes in), and responsible for her partner’s suicide.

— Sanjena Sathian, Vulture, 22 Sep. 2026

Definition of righteous

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uprears

upright

uprightness

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“Upright.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/upright. Accessed 5 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of upright

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