upper

1 of 3

adjective

up·​per ˈə-pər How to pronounce upper (audio)
1
a
: higher in physical position, rank, or order
the upper lip
upper management
b
: farther inland
the upper Mississippi
2
: constituting the branch of a bicameral legislature that is usually smaller and more restricted in membership and possesses greater traditional prestige than the lower house
3
a
: constituting a stratum relatively near the earth's surface
b
capitalized : being a later epoch or series of the period or system named
Upper Cretaceous
Upper Paleolithic
4
: northern
upper Manhattan

upper

2 of 3

noun (1)

: one that is upper: such as
a
: the parts of a shoe or boot above the sole
b
: an upper tooth or denture
c
: an upper berth

upper

3 of 3

noun (2)

1
: a stimulant drug
especially : amphetamine
2
: something that induces a state of good feeling or exhilaration
Phrases
on one's uppers
: in straitened circumstances : destitute

Examples of upper in a Sentence

Adjective upper and lower front teeth the wing's upper and lower surfaces the ship's upper and lower decks Who will sleep on the upper berth? The upper stories are occupied by offices. the upper layer of the Earth's crust temperatures in the mid to upper 20s Write your name on the upper left-hand corner of the page. relief of upper back pain the mountain's upper and lower slopes
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
However, the skies will be partly sunny, and temperatures will climb into the upper 70s. Robert A. Cronkleton, Kansas City Star, 23 May 2024 When spring and summer roll around, and the valley becomes a furnace, 12,000-foot Mt. Charleston is less than an hour’s drive away and the upper reaches can be 30 degrees cooler. Jack Dolan, Los Angeles Times, 22 May 2024 In recent days, construction crews poured concrete on the upper floor of the tower as part of an upgrade of the elevator system, according to Dillabough and Jeff Arrillaga, who also is a principal executive with Urban Community. George Avalos, The Mercury News, 21 May 2024 The padded insoles offer support, while the canvas upper is so stylish for summer. Nicol Natale, Peoplemag, 21 May 2024 He’s seen the world from the upper echelons, rubbed his share of elbows, made his share of mistakes. Peter Debruge, Variety, 16 May 2024 Temperatures may rise to the upper 60s to low 70s in the afternoon, though sunshine will be scarce due to precipitation and heavy cloud coverage. Haadiza Ogwude, The Enquirer, 15 May 2024 Auroras occur within one of Earth's upper atmosphere layers, the thermosphere, according to the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research. Jeanine Santucci, USA TODAY, 11 May 2024 On the ground floor, vendors sell produce, meat, cheeses, fish, and other groceries, while the upper floor has been turned into an upscale food hall. Laura Itzkowitz, Travel + Leisure, 11 May 2024
Noun
This model's leather upper resists stains and water. Lindsay Modglin, Verywell Health, 16 May 2024 This ultra-cushy pair from Rocket Dog is on my radar as a new addition to my shoe collection since they’re designed with comfort in mind, and padded heels and breathable canvas uppers make these shoes practically perfect for the summertime, taking me from day to night without ever causing blisters. Merrell Readman, Travel + Leisure, 11 May 2024 Also constructed with waterproof leather uppers and rubber soles and toe caps, Sperry’s boots differ from L.L.Bean’s in their laces. Erika Reals, Peoplemag, 7 May 2024 The insoles are padded with a yoga mat-like material which unsurprisingly offers impressive and breathable support, while mesh uppers promote airflow so stinky feet are a thing of the past. Merrell Readman, Travel + Leisure, 22 Apr. 2024 With their full-grain leather uppers and eye-catching red laces, Columbia’s Newton Ridge Boots harken back to the traditional mountaineering style (a.k.a. Olivia Young, Travel + Leisure, 17 Apr. 2024 Cons Our tester felt the shoe would be better with a more breathable upper. Madison Yauger, Peoplemag, 27 Mar. 2024 These canvas sneakers are the ultimate spring shoes, from their bold color range to their lightweight, breathable cloth uppers. Olivia Young, Travel + Leisure, 13 Mar. 2024 Three of the uppers are made of full-grain leather, while the fourth features hair-on-hide Italian leather. Demetrius Simms, Robb Report, 12 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'upper.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English, comparative of up entry 2

Noun (2)

up + -er entry 2

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun (1)

1789, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

circa 1968, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of upper was in the 14th century

Cite this Entry

“Upper.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/upper. Accessed 28 May. 2024.

Kids Definition

upper

1 of 3 adjective
up·​per ˈəp-ər How to pronounce upper (audio)
1
: higher in physical position, rank, or order
the upper lip
upper management
2
: being the smaller and more restricted branch of a two-house legislature
3
capitalized : of, relating to, or being a later geologic period or formation
the Upper Cretaceous period
4
: being toward the interior : further inland
the upper Amazon
5
: northern
upper New York state

upper

2 of 3 noun
1
: the parts of a shoe or boot above the sole
2
: an upper tooth or set of teeth
3
: an upper berth

upper

3 of 3 noun
: a stimulant drug
especially : amphetamine

Medical Definition

upper

1 of 2 noun
up·​per ˈəp-ər How to pronounce upper (audio)
: an upper tooth or denture

upper

2 of 2 noun
: a stimulant drug
especially : amphetamine

More from Merriam-Webster on upper

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