upward
Americanadverb
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toward a higher place or position.
The birds flew upward.
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toward a higher or more distinguished condition, rank, level, etc..
His employer wishes to move him upward in the company.
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to a greater degree; more.
fourscore and upward.
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toward a large city, the source or origin of a stream, or the interior of a country or region.
They followed the Thames River upward from the North Sea to London.
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in the upper parts; above.
adjective
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moving or tending upward; directed at or situated in a higher place or position.
idioms
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upwards of, more than; above.
My vacation cost me upwards of a thousand dollars.
adjective
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directed or moving towards a higher point or level
adverb
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a variant of upwards
Other Word Forms
- upwardly adverb
- upwardness noun
Etymology
Origin of upward
before 900; Middle English; Old English upweard (cognate with Dutch opwaart ). See up-, -ward
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Then energy costs climbed as a result of the war in Iran, putting upward pressure on inflation fears and then mortgage rates.
From Barron's • Apr. 6, 2026
Profits will rise faster than the price of the substance, often sending shares upward faster than oil futures.
From Barron's • Apr. 3, 2026
Then comes lift, like lemon zest, a splash of vinegar, something to pull everything upward.
From Salon • Apr. 3, 2026
“Not only does it indicate Intel was in a financial position to buy back this stake, it is also accretive to earnings which should cause upward revisions to estimates,” he said in emailed comments.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 2, 2026
I kick toward him, grab one of his arms, and swim upward.
From "Kwame Crashes the Underworld" by Craig Kofi Farmer
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.