DictionaryAI

upper

UP-ur/ˈʌpɚ/UKUP-uh/ˈʌpə(ɹ)/

Adjectiveuppermost

Noun pluraluppers

13 meanings of upper

Practice

  1. 1
    adjective
    Higher in place, rank, or level, including the more advanced years of school.

    Like the top shelf in a kitchen, higher than the ones below.

    The upper shelf is too high for me to reach.

    She moved into an upper management role last year.

    UsageSay the upper floor, but higher than.

    Similarhigher, top, senior

    Oppositelower, bottom

  2. 2
    higher groundadjective
    Higher up, further inland, or further north than another place.

    The upper valley gets more snow than the towns below.

    We hiked through the upper part of the forest.

    UsageOften the upper part of a river or valley.

    Similarhigher, northern, inland

    Oppositelower

  3. 3
    nouncountable
    The top part of something, or the higher one of two things.

    We painted the kitchen uppers white and the lowers gray.

    The upper over the stove is too high for me to reach.

    Oppositelower

    Note
  4. 4
    nouncountable
    The top part of a shoe above the sole, which covers or holds your foot.

    Like the cloth top of a slipper that wraps around your foot.

    The upper of my boot is starting to crack.

    These sneakers have a soft fabric upper.

    UsageOften uppers: leather uppers.

    Note
  5. 5
    younger rockadjective
    Belonging to a younger, more recent layer of rock.

    Like the top sheets of paper in a pile, added last and lying on top.

    The upper layers of rock are younger than those below.

    Fossils from the upper beds are more recent.

    Similaryounger, later

    Oppositelower, older

    Note

Practice

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Origin

From the word "up" plus the ending "-er".

Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 1 fact