Word
upright
Phoneticsup·right, stress on the first syllable
US/ˈəˌpɹaɪt/
UK/ˈʌpɹaɪt/
Definitions
01vertical
B2 · Upper Intermediate
adj. standing straight up rather than lying down or sitting.
adj. positioned vertically or in an erect posture.
“The cat sat in an upright position, watching the bird through the window.”
“The physical therapist instructed the patient to maintain an upright posture to alleviate the chronic pressure on his lower vertebrae.”
Antonyms
02honest and moral
C1 · Advanced Formal
adj. honest, fair, and having good values.
adj. possessing or exhibiting high moral standards and integrity.
“Everyone respected him because he was an upright and hard-working member of the community.”
“The judge was known as an upright citizen whose commitment to the letter of the law was beyond reproach.”
Synonyms
03in a vertical way
B2 · Upper Intermediate
adv. in a vertical position.
adv. in or into a vertical or erect position.
“Please place the box upright so the liquid inside doesn't leak out.”
“After the earthquake, only a few stone pillars remained standing upright among the ruins of the ancient temple.”
Synonyms
Antonyms
04a vertical post
B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun
n. a strong post or bar that stands straight up to support something.
n. a vertical structural member, such as a post in a goalframe or a support in a building.
“The ball hit the upright of the goal and bounced back into the field.”
“The carpenters installed the steel uprights first to ensure the entire wooden frame would be structurally sound.”
05a type of piano
B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun Music Informal
n. a piano where the strings are vertical, making it take up less space than a grand piano.
n. a piano with a vertical housing for the strings and soundboard.
Español:piano vertical
“They didn't have room for a grand piano, so they bought an old upright instead.”
“The studio was equipped with a well-maintained upright that had a surprisingly bright and percussive tone for its size.”
Synonyms
Antonyms
06to stand something up
C2 · Proficiency Formal
v. to put something back into a vertical position after it has fallen over.
v. to restore something to a vertical or proper orientation.
“It took three people to upright the heavy statue after it fell during the storm.”
“The recovery crew worked for hours to upright the overturned lorry and clear the motorway for traffic.”
Synonyms
Real-World Examples
“The flat horizontal stones, or dolmens, were meant for women, while the upright ones, or menhirs, were for men.” “An armchair that forces its occupier to sit upright like a Bond villain, rather than curled up like a cat, is a waste of space.” “Add the plunger and test it Hold the straw upright a little above the table.” “I should have guessed from her enviably upright deportment.” Etymology
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”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Domain
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/upright
Traducciones: Kaikki.org (Wiktionary), CC BY-SA 4.0