upward

English

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈʌpwɜː(ɹ)d/
• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈʌpwə(ɹ)d/

Adverb

upward (comparative more upward, superlative most upward)

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

   We ran upward

   • 1594, Richard Hooker, Of the Lawes of Ecclesiastical Politie

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

   • 1918, W. B. Maxwell, chapter 23, in The Mirror and the Lamp:

     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.

2. In the upper parts; above.
   • 1667, John Milton, “Book 1”, in Paradise Lost. A Poem Written in Ten Books, London: […] [Samuel Simmons], […], OCLC 228722708; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, OCLC 230729554:

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

3. Yet more; indefinitely more; above; over.
   • 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], OCLC 964384981, Numbers 1:3:

     From twenty years old and upward.

Synonyms

• cloudwards, up, upwards

Antonyms

• down, downwards

Derived terms

• upward of
• upwards of

Translations

toward an upper level

• Cornish: war-vann, yn-bann
• Estonian: üles (et)
• Finnish: ylös (fi), ylemmäs
• Hebrew: מַעְלָה‎ (he) (má'la)

• Latin: sūrsum
• Maori: ki runga, whakarunga
• Plautdietsch: nopp
• Russian: вверх (ru) (vverx), кве́рху (ru) (kvérxu), ввысь (ru) (vvysʹ), наве́рх (ru) (navérx)
• Tocharian B: kauc

in the upper parts; above

• Finnish: ylhäällä (fi), ylempänä

• Russian: наверху́ (ru) (naverxú), вверху́ (ru) (vverxú)

yet more; above; over

• Finnish: ylöspäin (fi)

• Russian: вы́ше (ru) (výše), свы́ше (ru) (svýše)

Noun

upward (uncountable)

1. (obsolete) The upper part; the top.
   • c. 1603–1606, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of King Lear”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358, [Act V, scene iii]:

     From the extremest upward of thy head.

Adjective

upward (comparative more upward, superlative most upward)

1. Directed toward a higher place.

   with upward eye; with upward course

Synonyms

• (toward a higher place): cloudward, upwards

Translations

moving up, directed toward a higher place

• Finnish: ylös suuntaava
• Maori: whakarunga, ki runga

• Russian: поднима́ющийся (ru) (podnimájuščijsja), восходя́щий (ru) (vosxodjáščij)

Anagrams

• draw up, draw-up, updraw