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Upright vs Upper - What's the difference?

upright | upper |

As adjectives the difference between upright and upper

is that upright is vertical; erect while upper is at a higher level, rank or position.

As nouns the difference between upright and upper

is that upright is any vertical part of a structure, especially one of the goal posts in sports while upper is that which is higher, contrasted with the lower.

As an adverb upright

is in or into an upright position.

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

    upper

    English

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • That which is higher, contrasted with the lower.
    • As the restless sleeper here, I'll take the lower berth. You take the upper .
  • (shoemaking) The piece of leather, etc., that forms the top part of a shoe above the sole.
  • A stimulant such as amphetamine that increases energy and decreases appetite.

    • Hyponyms

    * (shoemaking) vamp

    See also

    * swan upper

    Adjective

    (-)
  • At a higher level, rank or position.
  • Situated on higher ground, further inland, or more northerly.
  • (geology, of strata or geological time periods) younger, more recent
  • (education) Of or pertaining to a secondary school.

    • Antonyms

    * (at a higher position) lower, under * (situated higher) lower * (more recent) lower

    Derived terms

    * Upper Sorbian * Upper Volta * upper arm * upper case * upper class * upper house * uppermost

    Related terms

    * on one's uppers — destitute