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Synonyms

uptown

American  
[uhp-toun, uhp-toun] / ˈʌpˈtaʊn, ˈʌpˌtaʊn /

adverb

  1. to, toward, or in the upper part of a town or city.

    He rode uptown on the bus.

adjective

  1. moving toward, situated in, or pertaining to the upper part of a town.

    Take the uptown bus.

  2. of, for, or characteristic of affluent people; elegant, stylish, or luxurious.

    uptown fashions; uptown tastes.

noun

  1. the uptown section of a town or city.

    Uptown is less crowded.
uptown British  
/ ˈʌpˈtaʊn /

adjective

  1. towards, in, or relating to some part of a town that is away from the centre

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

  1. such a part of a town, esp a residential part

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • uptowner noun

Etymology

Origin of uptown

First recorded in 1830–40; up- + town

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The 2007 opening of FX’s groundbreaking legal drama “Damages,” in which Byrne’s young lawyer, Ellen Parsons, flees an uptown New York apartment building in which something terrible has clearly happened, sparked all manner of conversation.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 25, 2026

"Hoffman, me, my brother, three or four other actors and singers had a place on 107th and Broadway in Manhattan, uptown," Duvall told GQ in 2014.

From Barron's • Feb. 16, 2026

On a recent afternoon, he had a copy in his wallet, along with his state ID, as he walked from his uptown apartment in Memphis, Tennessee, to a nearby corner store.

From Salon • Nov. 4, 2025

When his work was staged for the uptown set at Lincoln Center, seats emptied.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 4, 2025

At the corner of Fifth Avenue there were several people waiting for the uptown bus, and Stuart joined them.

From "Stuart Little" by E.B. White

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.