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ENGLISH · A WORD WITH POSSIBILITIES

upright.

Vertical; erect.

7 characters2 syllables approx.English language

Meaning & usage

adj/ˈʌpɹaɪt/
  1. Vertical; erect.

  2. In its proper orientation; not overturned.

    My brother didn't get angry when his son knocked over the lamp; he simply called the boy over and helped him set it upright again.
  3. Greater in height than breadth.

  4. Of good morals; reliable and trustworthy; practicing ethical values.

    figuratively
  5. Having a head at approximately a right angle with the shaft.

  6. Characterized by a style of running with the head and shoulders held high.

    He's an upright runner.
Where this word comes from

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”).

adv/ˈʌpɹaɪt/
  1. In or into an upright position.

    I was standing upright, waiting for my orders.
  2. On one's feet (as opposed to in a wheelchair).

    Amputee hockey is played upright.
Where this word comes from

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”).

noun/ˈʌpɹaɪt/
  1. Any vertical part of a structure, especially a part that provides support.

  2. Any vertical part of a structure, especially a part that provides support. A goal post.

  3. Any vertical part of a structure, especially a part that provides support. The poles of a field goal post.

  4. Any vertical part of a structure, especially a part that provides support. A leg.

    slang
  5. Any vertical part of a structure, especially a part that provides support. A tentpole that holds aloft the center or sides of a tent.

  6. Something characterized by verticality. The state of being vertical or perpendicular.

    Can you fix that? It's out of upright.
  7. Something characterized by verticality. Characterized by being awake and out of bed.

    informal
  8. Something characterized by verticality. A word clued by the successive initial, middle, or final letters of the cross-lights in a double acrostic or triple acrostic.

  9. Something characterized by verticality. Short for upright bass

    abbreviation · alt-of · informal
  10. Something characterized by verticality. Short for upright bicycle

    abbreviation · alt-of · informal
  11. Something characterized by verticality. Short for upright freezer

    abbreviation · alt-of · informal
  12. Something characterized by verticality. Short for upright piano

    abbreviation · alt-of · informal
  13. Something characterized by verticality. Short for upright arcade game cabinet

    abbreviation · alt-of · informal
  14. Something characterized by verticality. Ellipsis of upright vacuum cleaner.

    abbreviation · alt-of · ellipsis
  15. Something characterized by verticality. The tips of the antlers of a young deer.

    UK · dialectal · obsolete
Where this word comes from

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”).

verb/ˈʌpɹaɪt/
  1. To set upright or stand back up (something that has fallen).

    transitive
Where this word comes from

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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Definitions, grammatical labels, IPA, etymology and examples: Wiktionary contributors, extracted by Kaikki / Wiktextract. Adapted under CC BY-SA 4.0. Selected fields and authored examples are shown; third-party quotations and audio are omitted. See contributor history.

Last enriched 2026-09-10. Definitions are in English. Romanizations are shown when supplied by the source; syllable estimates are omitted for unsupported scripts.