upright

B2 Topic:Describing Qualities

US /ˈʌpɹaɪt/ See IPA manual

Freq #10106

Meanings

1

adj
Standing straight up; vertical.

Please return your seat to the upright position for landing.
2

adj
Honest and following good moral principles.

He was known as an upright and honest judge.
3

adv
In a straight, vertical position.

I was standing upright, waiting for my orders.
4

noun
A vertical post or support in a structure.

The ball sailed between the uprights for a goal.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · standing straight up;... vertical erect

4 noun · a vertical post or support... vertical

Word family

Forms uprightlyuprightnessuprights

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

bolt upright
with the body or back completely straight and vertical

Adverb + adjective

Etymology

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”).

*h₃reǵ- Proto-Indo-European upright Middle English upriht Old English *upprehtaz Proto-Germanic

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities

External links

# upright

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B2
**Part of speech:** adj, adv, noun
**IPA (US):** /ˈʌpɹaɪt/
**Frequency rank:** 10106

## Meanings
1. Standing straight up; vertical.
2. Honest and following good moral principles.
3. In a straight, vertical position.
4. A vertical post or support in a structure.

## Examples
- Please return your seat to the upright position for landing.
- He was known as an upright and honest judge.
- I was standing upright, waiting for my orders.
- The ball sailed between the uprights for a goal.

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *h₃reǵ-
- Root: upright
- Root: upriht
- Root: *upprehtaz

## Etymology
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”).

## AI Etymology
Upright is 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”). In present-day use, it can mean standing straight up; vertical, or honest and following good moral principles.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities

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