upright
Americanadjective
-
erect or vertical, as in position or posture.
- Synonyms:
- vertical, perpendicular, plumb
- Antonyms:
- horizontal, recumbent
-
raised or directed vertically or upward.
-
adhering to rectitude; righteous, honest, or just.
an upright person.
- Synonyms:
- honorable
-
being in accord with what is right.
upright dealings.
noun
adverb
verb (used with object)
adjective
-
vertical or erect
-
honest, honourable, or just
adverb
noun
-
a vertical support, such as a stake or post
-
short for upright piano
-
the state of being vertical
verb
Related Words
Upright, erect, vertical, perpendicular imply that something is in the posture of being straight upward, not leaning. That which is upright is in a position corresponding to that of a person standing up: a decaying tree no longer standing upright; an upright piano. Erect emphasizes the straightness of position or posture: proud and erect; A flagpole stands erect. Vertical suggests upward direction, especially along the shortest line from the earth to a level above it: the vertical edge of a door; ornamented by vertical lines. Perpendicular, a term frequently interchangeable with vertical, is used especially in mathematics: the perpendicular side of a right triangle; to erect a perpendicular line from the base of a figure.
Other Word Forms
- nonupright adjective
- nonuprightly adverb
- nonuprightness noun
- uprightly adverb
- uprightness noun
Etymology
Origin of upright
First recorded before 900; Middle English, Old English upriht (cognate with German aufrecht ); up, right
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.
My forward momentum was the only thing keeping me upright.
She stands upright in heels and with confidence.
Duane was leaning every which way to keep the toboggan upright and to keep himself from injury.
From Literature
The horse now stands upright with its head pushing out from the back of its saddle.
From Los Angeles Times
The key diagnostic feature of PoTS is a persistent and abnormal increase in heart rate after assuming an upright posture.
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.
