upward

U1P3W4A1R1D2
US/ˈʌpwɚd/UK/ˈʌpwəd/Northern England/ˈʊpwəd/Scotland/ˈʌpwəɾd/

adverb

In a direction from lower to higher; toward a higher place; in a course toward the source or origin.

“We ran upward.”

Similar
cloudwardsupupwardscloudwardascendingupwardly
Opposite
downdownwardsdownward
OriginOld English upweardes →
CommonScrabble 12
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Meanings

upward1

adverbupward (not comparable)
  1. not comparableIn a direction from lower to higher; toward a higher place; in a course toward the source or origin.

    We ran upward.

    3 more examples

    Looking inward, we are stricken dumb; looking upward, we speak and prevail.

    [1594], Richard Hooker, edited by J[ohn] S[penser], Of the Lawes of Ecclesiastical Politie, […], London: […] Iohn Windet, […], →OCLC, (please specify the page)

    If the afternoon was fine they strolled together in the park, very slowly, and with pauses to draw breath wherever the ground sloped upward. The slightest effort made the patient cough.

    1918, W[illiam] B[abington] Maxwell, chapter XXIII, in The Mirror and the Lamp, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC

    We continue to move upward, climbing higher and higher across overgrown ledges along the wall.

    1989 May, Uwe George, “Venezuela's Islands in Time”, in National Geographic, volume 175, number 5, page 535
  2. not comparableIn the upper parts; above.

    Dagon his name, sea monster, upward man, / And downward fish.

    1667, John Milton, “Book I”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC
  3. not comparableYet more; indefinitely more; above; over.

    From twenty years old and upward.

    1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Numbers 1:3
nounupward (uncountable)
  1. obsoleteuncountableThe upper part; the top.

    From the extremest upward of thy head.

    c. 1603–1606, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of King Lear”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene iii]
adjectiveupward (comparative more upward, superlative most upward)

comparative more upward · superlative most upward

  1. Directed toward a higher place.

    with upward eye; with upward course

    1 more example

    […] economists should focus on efficiency and leave equity to others, to politicians or administrators. But the others regularly fail to materialize, so that when efficiency comes with upward redistribution—frequently though not inevitably—our recommendations become little more than a license for plunder.

    2024 March 28, Angus Deaton, “Rethinking My Economics”, in F&D Magazine

    Synonyms: cloudward

Upward2

proper nounUpward (plural Upwards)

plural Upwards

  1. A surname.

Synonyms & antonyms

adjectiveDirected toward a higher place.

Similar
cloudward
Similar
cloudwardsupupwards
Opposite
downdownwards

More synonyms by meaning

adjectivedirected up

Similar
up

adjectiveextending or moving toward a higher place

Similar
upascending

adverbspatially or metaphorically from a lower to a higher position

Similar
upupwardsupwardly
Opposite
downward

adverbto a later time

Similar
upupwards
Also see
cloudwardupupwardlyupwards

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Old Englishupweardes
  2. Englishupward

From Old English upweardes, equivalent to up + -ward.

More words from Old English

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian нагоре, нагоре
  • нагоре (nagore)toward an upper level
  • нагоре (nagore)in the upper parts; above
  • отгоре (otgore)yet more; above; over
  • насочен нагоре (nasočen nagore)moving up, directed toward a higher place
  • нагорен (nagoren)moving up, directed toward a higher place
Estonian üles
  • ülestoward an upper level
Finnish ylös, ylemmäs
  • ylöstoward an upper level
  • ylemmästoward an upper level
  • ylhäälläin the upper parts; above
  • ylempänäin the upper parts; above
  • ylöspäinyet more; above; over
  • ylös suuntaavamoving up, directed toward a higher place
German aufwärts
  • aufwärtstoward an upper level
Hebrew מַעְלָה
  • מַעְלָה (má'la)toward an upper level
Latin sūrsum
  • sūrsumtoward an upper level
Māori ki runga, whakarunga
  • ki rungatoward an upper level
  • whakarungatoward an upper level
  • whakarungamoving up, directed toward a higher place
  • ki rungamoving up, directed toward a higher place
Russian вверх, кве́рху
  • вверх (vverx)toward an upper level
  • кве́рху (kvérxu)toward an upper level
  • ввысь (vvysʹ)toward an upper level
  • наве́рх (navérx)toward an upper level
  • наверху́ (naverxú)in the upper parts; above
  • вверху́ (vverxú)in the upper parts; above
  • вы́ше (výše)yet more; above; over
  • свы́ше (svýše)yet more; above; over
  • поднима́ющийся (podnimájuščijsja)moving up, directed toward a higher place
  • восходя́щий (vosxodjáščij)moving up, directed toward a higher place

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

updraw
Cite this entry
APA

upward. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/upward

MLA

“upward.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/upward. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “upward,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/upward.

Source: upward on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.