upwards
- 01 B1 Intermediate
moving or looking toward the sky or a higher position.
directed toward a higher physical point or elevation.
Simple“She looked upwards at the tall trees and the birds flying above.”
In context“The smoke drifted upwards through the narrow chimney, eventually dissipating into the cold mountain air.”
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
moving to a higher number, price, or level.
indicating a movement toward a higher numerical value, quantity, or intensity.
Simple“Prices have been moving upwards for several months now.”
In context“The company revised its growth projections upwards following a surprisingly successful fiscal quarter in the European market.”
- 03 C1 Advanced
used with 'of' to mean more than a specific number or amount.
used in the phrase 'upwards of' to indicate a quantity exceeding a specified limit.
Simple“It will cost upwards of five hundred dollars to fix the car.”
In context“The charity gala successfully raised upwards of one million pounds, far exceeding the organisers' original expectations for the evening.”
UsageUsually appears in the fixed phrase 'upwards of' followed by a number.
- 04 B2 Upper Intermediate
moving toward a more important or senior position in a group.
directed toward a superior level in a hierarchy or social order.
Simple“He has been working hard to move upwards in the company.”
In context“Social mobility allows individuals to move upwards through the class structure based on merit and education rather than birthright.”
Synonyms
“Iowa’s cancer rates followed national trends until 2012, when they began climbing upwards for reasons that Green said remain unclear.”
“Parkrun is for everyone and anyone, from children upwards, and not only runners.”
From Middle English upwardes, from Old English upweardes, equivalent to up + -wards. Cognate with Dutch opwaarts (“upwards”), German aufwärts (“upwards”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.