upstairs

1 of 3

adverb

up·​stairs ˌəp-ˈsterz How to pronounce upstairs (audio)
1
: up the stairs : on or to a higher floor
2
: to or at a high altitude or higher position
kicked upstairs to company management
3
: in the head : intellectually
a little slow upstairsTom Clancy

upstairs

2 of 3

adjective

up·​stairs ˈəp-ˈsterz How to pronounce upstairs (audio)
: situated above the stairs especially on an upper floor
an upstairs bedroom

upstairs

3 of 3

noun

up·​stairs ˈəp-ˈsterz How to pronounce upstairs (audio)
ˈəp-ˌsterz
plural in form but singular or plural in construction
: the part of a building above the ground floor

Examples of upstairs in a Sentence

Adverb When you go upstairs, bring these towels with you. She was on her way upstairs when she heard a car drive up. Adjective You can use the upstairs bathroom.
Recent Examples on the Web
Adverb
Like Montana's upstairs with my kids, seeing their rooms. Hannah Sacks, Peoplemag, 12 Mar. 2024 Randy charged upstairs to deal with Lois, 49, who was screaming and scrambling to get a gun from a closet. Matt Thompson, SPIN, 12 Mar. 2024 Everything from steak bites to chocolate delights was passed about throughout the evening, and midway through, people noticed there was an entire second floor, one of the massive lounge areas and private dressing rooms about which to mingle upstairs. Jamila Stewart, Vogue, 10 Mar. 2024 Heading upstairs to the main deck, a spacious open-air lounge leads to the main salon and dining area. Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 4 Mar. 2024 Last year, somebody broke into the bar, raided the refrigerators and was caught by police doing drugs upstairs. Ashraf Khalil, Fortune, 4 Mar. 2024 Out back, there’s a covered and heated beer garden (especially useful for watching games with friends and general al fresco fun), but all areas – including the private dining room upstairs – are cozy and welcoming. Lela London, Forbes, 19 Feb. 2024 Residents have donated books and furniture for the space upstairs. Sam Lubell, New York Times, 1 Mar. 2024 Angel, who also works as a reiki practitioner and model, is preparing to open an alcohol-free tea lounge upstairs. Lina Abascal, Los Angeles Times, 27 Feb. 2024
Adjective
Body camera footage released by the Richmond Police Department shows the officers entering the home and sweeping each room before entering an upstairs bedroom. Kate Bradshaw, The Mercury News, 24 Feb. 2024 All five children were located in the same upstairs bedroom of the two-story duplex, according to fire officials. The Arizona Republic, 23 Feb. 2024 The desk in an upstairs office was spotless and brown. Jacob Bernstein, New York Times, 21 Feb. 2024 There's also an upstairs retail store within Union Assembly. Susan Selasky, Detroit Free Press, 27 Jan. 2024 Comedy shows taking place in its upstairs showroom are for ages 21 and older. The Indianapolis Star, 4 Mar. 2024 April Babcock is sitting in a cramped upstairs room in her Maryland home filled with posters and banners that are covered with the faces of those who have died from fentanyl. Eileen Finan, Peoplemag, 3 Mar. 2024 And on the dining front, Matsuhisa has renovated their upstairs space; basement bar Buck has just opened under Brunello Cucinelli, and quick serve joint Jimoto serves up ramen and soup dumplings. Elycia Rubin, The Hollywood Reporter, 2 Mar. 2024 Krasner painted these works in an upstairs bedroom in the Springs house, placing her canvases on a table or the floor. Grace Edquist, Vogue, 1 Mar. 2024
Noun
Current designs for the expansion would make both City Hall and the library more accessible by connecting the two upstairs, placing public meetings and city clerk windows on the first floor of City Hall and upgrading the library with age- and ADA-friendly spaces, among other things. Bridget Fogarty, Journal Sentinel, 23 Feb. 2024 There’s a little fridge down there, so nobody has to go back [upstairs for drinks]. Adam Tschorn, Los Angeles Times, 12 May 2023 An expansive primary suite takes up the entire upstairs, decked out with its own office, a spa-like bathroom, and a massive walk-in closet. Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 13 Mar. 2023 Off The Record, an upscale cocktail bar, will move in upstairs. Tirion Morris, The Arizona Republic, 30 Sep. 2021 My idea was to do a kind of upstairs/downstairs treatment — a photo from the ground complemented by one of the very same cloud from space. Tom Yulsman, Discover Magazine, 12 Dec. 2013 The 50 upstairs beds are in individual rooms while the new first-floor shelter is more like a dorm, with each of the 20 single beds separated by a small wooden wardrobe. San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Feb. 2023 An umami-rich aroma steaming from Swift's Attic is guaranteed to lure your group off the bustling Congress Ave and into the restaurant upstairs. Alexandra Toto, Condé Nast Traveler, 31 Jan. 2023 This discovery came after a witness saw Murdaugh carrying a blue tarp upstairs. Andrea Marks, Rolling Stone, 25 Jan. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'upstairs.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Adverb

1584, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1782, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1842, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of upstairs was in 1584

Dictionary Entries Near upstairs

Cite this Entry

“Upstairs.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/upstairs. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

upstairs

1 of 3 adverb
up·​stairs ˈəp-ˈsta(ə)rz How to pronounce upstairs (audio)
-ˈste(ə)rz
1
: up the stairs : to or on a higher floor
2
: to or at a higher position or level

upstairs

2 of 3 adjective
up·​stairs ˈəp-ˈsta(ə)rz How to pronounce upstairs (audio)
-ˈste(ə)rz
: located on an upper floor
the upstairs bedroom

upstairs

3 of 3 noun
up·​stairs ˈəp-ˈsta(ə)rz How to pronounce upstairs (audio) -ˈste(ə)rz How to pronounce upstairs (audio)
ˈəp-ˌsta(ə)rz,
-ˌste(ə)rz
: the part of a building above the ground floor

More from Merriam-Webster on upstairs

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