Meanings
- not comparableTowards a (higher) position closer to the sky than the ground.
look upwards
4 more examples
push upwards
soar upwards
The balloon drifted upwards into the sky.
The underframe also carries four bonded-rubber mountings, focused upwards and inwards towards the centre of gravity to suspend the body shell.
1958 April 28, “Diesel Railbus for British Railways”, in Railway Magazine, page 275 - not comparableTo a higher figure or amount.
Prices are moving steadily upwards.
- not comparableTowards something which is higher in order, larger, superior etc.
- not comparableBackwards in time, into the past.
- not comparableTo or into later life.
Synonyms & antonyms
adverbspatially or metaphorically from a lower to a higher position
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Old Englishupweardes
- Middle Englishupwardes
- Englishupwards
From Middle English upwardes, from Old English upweardes, equivalent to up + -wards. Cognate with Dutch opwaarts (“upwards”), German aufwärts (“upwards”).
More words from Middle English, Old English
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Ancient Greek ἄνω
- ἄνω (ánō)to a higher position
Dutch opwaarts, hoger
- opwaartsto a higher position
- hogerto something superior
Esperanto supren
- suprento a higher position
Estonian üles
- ülesto a higher position
Finnish ylös, ylemmäs
- ylösto a higher position
- ylemmästo a higher position
- ylemmäksito a higher position
- ylöspäinto a higher position
- ylöspäinto a higher amount
- ylösto a higher amount
- korkeammaksito a higher amount
- ylöspäinto something superior
- taemmasto the past
- taemmaksito the past
- myöhemmästo later life
- myöhemmäksito later life
French en haut
- en hautto a higher position
German aufwärts, nach oben
- aufwärtsto a higher position
- nach obento a higher position
- hochto a higher position
- hinaufto a higher position
- heraufto a higher position
Irish aníos, suas
- aníosto a higher position
- suasto a higher position
Latin sūrsum
- sūrsumto a higher position
Polish w górę, wzwyż
- w góręto a higher position
- wzwyżto a higher position
Portuguese para cima, para cima
- para cimato a higher position
- para cimato a higher amount
Romanian în sus, la deal
- în susto a higher position
- la dealto a higher position
Russian вверх, ввысь
- вверх (vverx)to a higher position
- ввысь (vvysʹ)to a higher position
- вы́ше (výše)to a higher amount
Scottish Gaelic a-nìos
- a-nìosto a higher position
Spanish hacia arriba, arriba
- hacia arribato a higher position
- arribato a higher position
Swedish uppför, uppåt
- uppförto a higher position
- uppåtto a higher position
Ukrainian вверх
- вверх (vverx)to a higher position
Cite this entry
upwards. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/upwards
“upwards.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/upwards. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “upwards,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/upwards.
Source: upwards on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.