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Synonyms

uphill

American  
[uhp-hil, uhp-hil] / ˈʌpˈhɪl, ˈʌpˌhɪl /

adverb

  1. up or as if up the slope of a hill or other incline; upward.

    The soldiers marched uphill. Water does not run uphill without assistance.

adjective

  1. going or tending upward on or as if on a hill.

    an uphill road.

  2. at a high place or point.

    an uphill village.

  3. laboriously fatiguing or difficult.

    an uphill struggle to become wealthy.
    Synonyms:
    grueling, taxing, strenuous, hard, arduous

noun

  1. a rising terrain; ascent.

uphill British  
/ ˈʌpˈhɪl /

adjective

  1. inclining, sloping, or leading upwards

  2. requiring arduous and protracted effort

    an uphill task
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

adverb

  1. up an incline or slope; upwards

  2. against difficulties

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

  1. a rising incline; ascent

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of uphill

First recorded in 1540–50; up- + hill

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.

Actual lasting change will be an uphill struggle, especially with a predicted coalition government, says a source within advocacy group Transparency International.

From BBC

In the Champions League, Bodø also faced a gargantuan uphill task.

From The Wall Street Journal

The state’s uphill battle to draw insurers back could prove a template—or cautionary tale—for other disaster-prone states.

From The Wall Street Journal

California’s uphill battle to draw insurers back could prove a template—or cautionary tale—for other disaster-prone states.

From The Wall Street Journal

Team GB face an uphill task to win an Olympic medal in the four-man bobsleigh as they sit seventh at the halfway point.

From BBC

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.