ENGLISH
REFERENCE

upright

adj. · adv. · n. · v.
US //ˈəˌpɹaɪt// UK //ˈʌpɹaɪt// up·right
  1. 1 vertical (adj.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    standing straight up rather than lying down or sitting.

    positioned vertically or in an erect posture.

    Example

    The cat sat in an upright position, watching the bird through the window.

    Example

    The physical therapist instructed the patient to maintain an upright posture to alleviate the chronic pressure on his lower vertebrae.
  2. 2 honest and moral (adj.)
    C1 Advanced Formal

    honest, fair, and having good values.

    possessing or exhibiting high moral standards and integrity.

    Example

    Everyone respected him because he was an upright and hard-working member of the community.

    Example

    The judge was known as an upright citizen whose commitment to the letter of the law was beyond reproach.
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  1. 3 in a vertical way (adv.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    in a vertical position.

    in or into a vertical or erect position.

    Example

    Please place the box upright so the liquid inside doesn't leak out.

    Example

    After the earthquake, only a few stone pillars remained standing upright among the ruins of the ancient temple.
  2. 4 a vertical post (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    a strong post or bar that stands straight up to support something.

    a vertical structural member, such as a post in a goalframe or a support in a building.

    Example

    The ball hit the upright of the goal and bounced back into the field.

    Example

    The carpenters installed the steel uprights first to ensure the entire wooden frame would be structurally sound.
  3. 5 a type of piano (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate Informal Music

    a piano where the strings are vertical, making it take up less space than a grand piano.

    a piano with a vertical housing for the strings and soundboard.

    Example

    They didn't have room for a grand piano, so they bought an old upright instead.

    Example

    The studio was equipped with a well-maintained upright that had a surprisingly bright and percussive tone for its size.
    • upright piano
    • grand piano
  4. 6 to stand something up (v.)
    C2 Proficiency Formal

    to put something back into a vertical position after it has fallen over.

    to restore something to a vertical or proper orientation.

    Example

    It took three people to upright the heavy statue after it fell during the storm.

    Example

    The recovery crew worked for hours to upright the overturned lorry and clear the motorway for traffic.
Origin

From Middle English upright, uppryght, upriht, from Old English upriht (“upright; erect”), from Proto-Germanic *upprehtaz, equivalent to up- + right. Cognate with Saterland Frisian apgjucht (“upright”), West Frisian oprjocht (“upright”), Dutch oprecht (“upright”), German Low German uprecht (“upright”), German aufrecht (“upright”), Swedish upprätt (“upright”), Icelandic uppréttur (“upright”).

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