Upright Meaning
/ˈʌpɹaɪt/Definition, CEFR level B2, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
Listen pronunciation
Definition
adjVertical; erect.
adjIn its proper orientation; not overturned.
Sentence Examples
He sits upright, not crouched over his plate like an animal at a feeding trough.
Even after it was hit, the pole was still upright.
Synonyms & Antonyms
Antonyms:
CEFR Practice Quiz
After the earthquake, the only object still ____ was the heavy table.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The ancient stone pillars have remained ____ for thousands of years, standing as a testament to the past today.
Word Origin & History
From Middle English upright, uppryght, upriht, from Old English upriht (“upright; erect”), from Proto-Germanic *upprehtaz, equivalent to up- + right. Cognate with Saterland Frisian apgjucht (“upright”), West Frisian oprjocht (“upright”), Dutch oprecht (“upright”), German Low German uprecht (“upright”), German aufrecht (“upright”), Swedish upprätt (“upright”), Icelandic uppréttur (“upright”).
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"Fab[ell]: What meanes the tolling of this fatall chime, // O what a trembling horror ſtrikes my hart! // My ſtiffned haire ſtands vpright on my head, // As doe the briſtles of a porcupine."
— 1608, William Shakespeare, The merry Deuill of Edmonton, introduction, lines 1-4:
"Another feature new to British Railways is the provision of two-position adjustable seats in the first class compartments. In this design, the seat squab can be pulled out some six inches, the seat back being attached to the seat to give a less upright sitting position."
— 1957 August 26, “New Multiple-Unit Stock for Hastings and Watford Services”, in Railway Magazine, page 532:
"Upright posture evolved well before an enlarged brain in hominids."
— 2006, Neil A. Campbell, Biology: concepts & connections, page 404:
"There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil."
— 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Job 1:1:
"Human locomotion had been presumed unique because we walk upright with two legs. When investigators led by Nadia Dominici analyzed the electrical activities produced by walking toddlers, preschoolers, and adults as well as newborns that were held upright and prodded to walk along a surface, however, they saw that we essentially follow the same chain of motor commands as several other animals, including rats, cats, monkeys, and guinea fowl."
— 2011 November 17, Hans Villarica, “A Rat's First Steps: How Humans and Other Animals Learn to Walk”, in The Atlantic, archived from the original on 09 Mar 2022:
Explore More B2 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
After the earthquake, the only object still ____ was the heavy table.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The ancient stone pillars have remained ____ for thousands of years, standing as a testament to the past today.