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Supine vs Upright - What's the difference?

supine | upright |

As adjectives the difference between supine and upright

is that supine is lying on its back, reclined while upright is vertical; erect.

As nouns the difference between supine and upright

is that supine is (grammar) a type of verbal noun while upright is any vertical part of a structure, especially one of the goal posts in sports.

As an adverb upright is

in or into an upright position.

supine

English

(wikipedia supine)

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • Lying on its back, reclined
  • * {{quote-news
    • , year=2011 , date=December 15 , author=Felicity Cloake , title=How to cook the perfect nut roast , work=Guardian citation , page= , passage=Christmas queen Mary Berry's aubergine five-nut roast, from her Christmas Collection, is, as the name suggests, rather more focused on the nut side of things. Breadcrumbs play second fiddle to a medley of almonds, Brazils, chestnuts, pine nuts and pistachios which, although tangy with lemon juice and garlic, is outrageously dense. A single slice of this could leave you supine in front of the Queen's speech without even the wherewithal to reach for the remote control.}}
  • Leaning backward, or inclining with exposure to the sun; sloping; inclined.
  • * Dryden
    • If the vine / On rising ground be placed, or hills supine .
  • Negligent; heedless; listless; lethargic; indifferent.
  • * Woodward
    • He became pusillanimous and supine , and openly exposed to any temptation.
  • *
  • Passive
  • * 1748 , , Enquiries concerning the human understanding and concerning the principles of moral , London: Oxford University Press: 1973, page 34,
    • Nothing, therefore, can be more contrary than such a philosophy to the supine indolence of the mind.

    Synonyms

    * (lying back) reclined * (sloping) inclined, sloping * (lethargic) lethargic, sleepy, tired * (passive) passive, peaceful

    Antonyms

    * (lying face down) prone, prostrate

    Derived terms

    * supination

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (grammar) A type of verbal noun.

    • See also

    * gerund * infinitive

    Anagrams

    * ----

    upright

    English

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Vertical; erect.
    • I was standing upright , waiting for my orders.
  • * 1608 , William Shakespeare, The merry Deuill of Edmonton , introduction, lines 1–4
    • Fab''[''ell'']'': ?What meanes the tolling of this fatall chime, // O what a trembling horror ?trikes my hart! // My ?tiffned haire ?tands vpright on my head, // As doe the bri?tles of a porcupine.
  • * 1782 , Fanny Burney, Cecilia; or, Memoirs of an Heiress , volume V, Book X, chapter X: “A Termination”, page 372
    • Supported by pillows, ?he ?at almo?t upright .
  • *
  • Greater in height than breadth.
  • (figuratively) Of good morals; practicing ethical values.

    • Synonyms

    *

    Adverb

    (en adverb)
  • in or into an upright position

    • Noun

    (en noun)
  • Any vertical part of a structure, especially one of the goal posts in sports.
  • * {{quote-news
    • , year=2011 , date=January 5 , author=Mark Ashenden , title=Wolverhampton 1 - 0 Chelsea , work=BBC citation , page= , passage=Chelsea improved, with Salomon Kalou denied by goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey and Didier Drogba hitting the upright .}}
  • A word clued by the successive initial, middle, or final letters of the cross-lights in a double acrostic or triple acrostic.
  • (informal) An upright piano.

    • Holonyms

    * (word clued by successive letters) double acrostic, triple acrostic

    Related terms

    * upright piano