Meanings
- humorousslangGod.
God can't be found in unsanctified imaginations or in the caricatures of pop culture. He is not The Man Upstairs. He does not "help those who help themselves."
2007, Ellen Santilli Vaughn, Time Peace: Living Here and Now with a Timeless God2 more examples
A rhapsodic inquiry greets us from the TV screen and the radio: "Have you talked to the Man Upstairs?" God is a friendly neighbor who dwells in the apartment just above. Call on him any time, especially if you are feeling a little blue.
1972, Harold Edward Fey, The Christian Century Reader"Oh, you know, the Man upstairs has been good to this person." I kept on pressing for an explanation. Finally I was told, "Oh, you know, the Man upstairs—He's the One who answers prayer."
2000, Lee Roberson, Diamonds in the Rough
Synonyms & antonyms
Origin
From the traditional Biblical notions of a masculine God and a Heaven located above the Earth.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
Man Upstairs. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Man%20Upstairs
“Man Upstairs.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Man%20Upstairs. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Man Upstairs,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Man%20Upstairs.
Source: Man Upstairs on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.