upward

[ uhp-werd ]

adverb

1. toward a higher place or position:

   The birds flew upward.

2. toward a higher or more distinguished condition, rank, level, etc.:

   His employer wishes to move him upward in the company.

3. to a greater degree; more:

   fourscore and upward.

4. toward a large city, the source or origin of a stream, or the interior of a country or region:

   They followed the Thames River upward from the North Sea to London.

5. in the upper parts; above.

adjective

1. moving or tending upward; directed at or situated in a higher place or position.

upward

/ ˈʌpwəd /

adjective

1. directed or moving towards a higher point or level

adverb

1. a variant of upwards

Derived Forms

• ˈupwardly, adverb
• ˈupwardness, noun

Other Words From

• upward·ly adverb
• upward·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of upward¹

before 900; Middle English; Old English upweard (cognate with Dutch opwaart ). See up-, -ward

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. upwards of, more than; above:

   My vacation cost me upwards of a thousand dollars.

Example Sentences

Unseen forces drive a massive plateau of rock upward, carving spectacular features that one day will have names: Grand Canyon, Arches, Monument Valley.

From Los Angeles Times

The Dow Jones Industrial Average, the S&P 500 and the tech-focused Nasdaq Composite closed at record highs last week, with most stocks edging upward this week following a pause on Tuesday.

From Salon

As fires devour flammable brush and vegetation, the heat propels burning embers upward.

From Los Angeles Times

They raise prices on many of the goods Americans buy, pushing inflation upward, and they almost always prompt other countries to retaliate by imposing tariffs on U.S. exports.

From Los Angeles Times

The one-term president made it clear he was unhappy with the results but hoped the country would continue the upward trajectory his administration set in motion.

From Salon

Related Words

• higher
• skyward
• uphill