1
a
b
: erect in carriage or posture
c
: having the main axis or a main part perpendicular
upright freezer
2
: marked by strong moral rectitude
an upright citizen
uprightly
adverb
uprightness
noun
: vertically upward : in an upright position
1
: the state of being upright : perpendicular
a pillar out of upright
2
: something that stands upright
especially
: a football goalpost
—usually used in plural
3
Synonyms
Examples of upright in a Sentence
Adjective
Put your seat back in the upright position.
The container should be kept upright to prevent leaks.
Noun
The uprights of the structure were embedded in concrete.
Recent Examples on the Web
Conçetta Ciarlo, Vogue, 4 Feb. 2025
Plant the onion seedlings approximately ½ inch deep so that the forming bulbs and roots are barely covered with soil, and lightly tamp down the soil to keep the onion seedlings upright.
—Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 Feb. 2025
Lana Barhum, Verywell Health, 3 Feb. 2025
The airline’s first red-eyes, so called for the way one’s eyes may look after sitting upright in an aluminum tube all night, will launch on five routes: Las Vegas, Los Angeles and Phoenix to Baltimore-Washington, plus Las Vegas to Orlando and Los Angeles to Nashville.
—Edward Russell, Travel + Leisure, 3 Feb. 2025
Joseph Hernandez, Kansas City Star, 30 Jan. 2025
In the 2020 postseason, Tucker hit the left upright from 41 yards away on the opening drive and clanged the right upright from 46 yards before making a 34-yarder right before halftime of Buffalo’s 17-3 victory.
—Tim Graham, The Athletic, 18 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for upright 
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Adjective
Using the precision wand, hold the brush upright to define the lips and point it down to fill them in.
—Conçetta Ciarlo, Vogue, 4 Feb. 2025
Plant the onion seedlings approximately ½ inch deep so that the forming bulbs and roots are barely covered with soil, and lightly tamp down the soil to keep the onion seedlings upright.
—Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 Feb. 2025
Adverb
When sitting in a chair, sit upright and lean forward slightly with your arms resting on a hard surface.
—Lana Barhum, Verywell Health, 3 Feb. 2025
The airline’s first red-eyes, so called for the way one’s eyes may look after sitting upright in an aluminum tube all night, will launch on five routes: Las Vegas, Los Angeles and Phoenix to Baltimore-Washington, plus Las Vegas to Orlando and Los Angeles to Nashville.
—Edward Russell, Travel + Leisure, 3 Feb. 2025
Noun
Instead, Mahomes threw an interception, and Bengals kicker Evan McPherson would send one through the uprights and send the Bengals to the Super Bowl, defeating Kansas City 27-24.
—Joseph Hernandez, Kansas City Star, 30 Jan. 2025
In the 2020 postseason, Tucker hit the left upright from 41 yards away on the opening drive and clanged the right upright from 46 yards before making a 34-yarder right before halftime of Buffalo’s 17-3 victory.
—Tim Graham, The Athletic, 18 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for upright
Dictionary Entries Near upright
Cite this Entry
“Upright.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/upright. Accessed 11 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
upright
1 of 2 adjective
up·right
ˈəp-ˌrīt 
1
a
: vertical entry 1 sense 2
an upright posture
b
: having the main axis or a main part perpendicular
2
: living by high moral standards : honorable
uprightness
noun
upright
2 of 2 noun1
: an upright or vertical position
2
: something upright
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