Word
upstream
Phoneticsup·stream, stress on the first syllable
US/ˈəpˈstɹim/
UK/ʌpstɹˈiːm/
Definitions
01against the water flow
B2 · Upper Intermediate
adj. located or moving in the opposite direction to the way a river or stream flows.
adj. situated or moving in a direction contrary to the flow of a current or stream.
“The salmon swim upstream for many miles to reach their spawning grounds.”
“The researchers took water samples from an upstream location to ensure the data wasn't contaminated by the factory's waste pipe further down.”
Synonyms
Antonyms
02earlier in a process
C1 · Advanced Academic · Technical
adj. happening at an earlier stage in a process, such as the start of a production line.
adj. relating to the earlier stages of a process, particularly in industrial production, supply chains, or biological pathways.
“The company is investing in upstream activities like oil exploration and drilling.”
“By addressing the problem at an upstream stage of the manufacturing process, the engineers prevented a series of defects in the final product.”
Usage
Often used in business to refer to the extraction of raw materials.
Antonyms
03moving upriver
B2 · Upper Intermediate
adv. moving against the current of a river.
adv. in a direction against the flow of a stream or current.
“It is much harder to row upstream than it is to go with the current.”
“The barge struggled to move upstream against the heavy spring floods, requiring additional tugboats to maintain its course.”
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Antonyms
04software development
C1 · Advanced Computing Technical
v. to send a software update back to the original creators so they can include it in the main version.
v. to submit a software patch or feature to the original developers or maintainers of a project for inclusion in the primary source code.
“The developer decided to upstream her bug fixes to the main Linux project.”
“The team worked hard to upstream their security patches, ensuring that the entire community would benefit from the improved code in the next release.”
Synonyms
Antonyms
Real-World Examples
“Dawadi, the headteacher at Tribhuvan Trishuli secondary school in Nuwakot, which has 1,600 pupils, said he had received four warnings from different people within minutes, including one from Betrawati, a town directly upstream.” “Further upstream, the character of the river changes.” Etymology
From up- + stream.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Idioms
01. swim upstream
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/upstream