Synonyms

upstairs

American

[uhp-stairz] / ˈʌpˈstɛərz /

especially British, above stairs

adverb

up the stairs; to or on an upper floor.
Informal. in the mind.

to be a little weak upstairs.
to or at a higher level of authority.

You may have to take the matter upstairs.
Military Slang. at or to a higher level in the air.

adjective

Also upstair of, relating to, or situated on an upper floor.

an upstairs window;
an upstairs apartment.

noun

plural

upstairs

(usually used with a singular verb) an upper story or stories; the part of a building or house that is above the ground floor.

The upstairs of this house is entirely rented.
a higher command or level of authority.

We can't take action till we have approval from upstairs.

idioms

kick upstairs, to promote (a person) to a higher position, usually having less authority, in order to be rid of them.

upstairs British

/ ˈʌpˈstɛəz /

adverb

up the stairs; to or on an upper floor or level
informal to or into a higher rank or office
informal in the mind

a little weak upstairs
informal to promote to a higher rank or position, esp one that carries less power

"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. an upper floor or level
2. ( as modifier )
  
  an upstairs room
informal the masters and mistresses of a household collectively, esp of a large house Compare downstairs

"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

upstairs More Idioms

see kick upstairs.

Etymology

Origin of upstairs

First recorded in 1590–1600; up- + stairs

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.

Williams, 44, lived in a ground-floor flat, and Andrew, 42, was his upstairs neighbour - they were old schoolmates with no history of tension.

From BBC

It was two in the morning when upstairs, Leah, Mother, and the girls awoke to the stomping sound of marching feet.

From Literature

When it happened, my wife was in our upstairs bedroom, adjacent to the bathroom.

From The Wall Street Journal

After her building sprung a leak she made friends with her upstairs neighbour while trying to find the source.

From Barron's

The room Grandpa had gotten for us was upstairs in the hotel.

From Literature

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023