uphill

1 of 3

adverb

up·​hill ˈəp-ˈhil How to pronounce uphill (audio)
Synonyms of uphillnext
1
: upward on a hill or incline
2
: against difficulties
… seemed to be talking uphill.Willa Cather

uphill

2 of 3

noun

up·​hill ˈəp-ˌhil How to pronounce uphill (audio)
: rising ground : ascent

uphill

3 of 3

adjective

up·​hill ˈəp-ˌhil How to pronounce uphill (audio)
1
: situated on elevated ground
2
a
: going up : ascending
b
: being the higher one or part especially of a set
specifically : being nearer the top of an incline
3

Examples of uphill in a Sentence

Adverb It is easier to ride a bicycle downhill than uphill. Noun no matter where you go bicycle touring, the uphills always seem to outnumber the downhills Adjective It has been an uphill battle for her to get an education. an uphill battle to eradicate poverty in an area of the state that has never known anything else
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Adverb
To accelerate uphill, the skis must experience a small amount of friction while moving in the forward direction. Amy Pope, The Conversation, 2 Feb. 2026 Students dropped off by their parents would go from walking downhill to reach the campus to walking uphill, and the inverse is true for kids dropped off by bus. Noah Lyons, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Jan. 2026
Noun
The Chiefs’ run over the last decade was akin to moving a boulder uphill. Sam McDowell 5, Kansas City Star, 5 Feb. 2026 During an initial ascent, athletes wear adhesive skins on the bottoms of their skis, which enable them to ski uphill. Mark Scaglione, NBC news, 3 Feb. 2026
Adjective
The Belvedere has partnered with the local ski shop so that guests can store their gear at the store overnight rather than drag it uphill to the hotel in winter—which in Wengen, Keller said, was like being in a completely different village. Alice Gregory, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 Feb. 2026 But the real key to the Olympia delle Tofane track comes above the schuss, where there’s a key right turn that includes an uphill stretch. Andrew Dampf, Denver Post, 8 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for uphill

Word History

First Known Use

Adverb

1535, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1548, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

1613, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of uphill was in 1535

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Uphill.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/uphill. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.

Kids Definition

uphill

1 of 2 adverb
up·​hill ˈəp-ˈhil How to pronounce uphill (audio)
1
: in an upward direction
2
: against difficulties

uphill

2 of 2 adjective
up·​hill ˌəp-ˌhil How to pronounce uphill (audio)
1
: being on high ground
2
: going up : ascending
3
: difficult sense 1
an uphill struggle

More from Merriam-Webster on uphill

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