upper

B1 Topic:Describing Qualities

US /ˈʌpɚ/ UK /ˈʌpə/ See IPA manual

Freq #3839

Meanings

1

adj
Higher in position than something else.

She sleeps on the upper bunk of the bed.
2

adj
Higher in rank, level, or class.

He finished in the upper half of his class.
3

noun
The top part of a shoe, above the sole.

The leather upper of the boot had started to crack.

Thesaurus

Opposites

lower under

Word family

Forms uppers

Derived forms upper-crusterupper-divisionuppermost

Related forms beater-upperbreak-uppercatcher-uppercheerer-uppercleaner-upperdoer-upperfiller-upperfixer-upperfuck-uppergiver-upperhold-upperhook-upper

Appears in

Phrases (4)

See all

upper class
the highest social class, typically with inherited wealth and status

Adjective + noun
upper balcony
the higher or rearmost balcony seating area in a theater

Adjective + noun
upper bound
a number that is at least as large as every number in a specified set

Adjective + noun
upper reaches
the parts of a river or area nearest its upper end or source

Adjective + noun

Idioms (2)

See all

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *upó Proto-Germanic *ub Proto-Germanic *upp Proto-West Germanic *upp Old English upp Middle English up Proto-Indo-European *-yōs Proto-Germanic *-izô Proto-West Germanic *-iʀō Proto-Germanic *-ōzô Proto-West Germanic *-ōʀō Old English -ra Middle English -er Middle English upper English upper Inherited from Middle English upper. By surface analysis, up + -er.

upper Middle English

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities

External links

# upper

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B1
**Part of speech:** adj, noun
**IPA (US):** /ˈʌpɚ/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈʌpə/
**Frequency rank:** 3839

## Meanings
1. Higher in position than something else.
2. Higher in rank, level, or class.
3. The top part of a shoe, above the sole.

## Examples
- She sleeps on the upper bunk of the bed.
- He finished in the upper half of his class.
- The leather upper of the boot had started to crack.

## Antonyms
- lower
- under

## Derived Forms
- upper-cruster
- upper-division
- uppermost

## Related Forms
- beater-upper
- break-upper
- catcher-upper
- cheerer-upper
- cleaner-upper
- doer-upper
- filler-upper
- fixer-upper
- fuck-upper
- giver-upper
- hold-upper
- hook-upper

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: upper

## Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *upó Proto-Germanic *ub Proto-Germanic *upp Proto-West Germanic *upp Old English upp Middle English up Proto-Indo-European *-yōs Proto-Germanic *-izô Proto-West Germanic *-iʀō Proto-Germanic *-ōzô Proto-West Germanic *-ōʀō Old English -ra Middle English -er Middle English upper English upper Inherited from Middle English upper. By surface analysis, up + -er.

## AI Etymology
Upper is inherited from Middle English upper. By surface analysis, up + -er. The historical chain runs through Middle English upper. In present-day use, it can mean higher in position than something else, or higher in rank, level, or class. Derived formations include upper-cruster, upper-division, uppermost.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities

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