up|scale /ʌ pske I l/ ADJ [usu ADJ n] Upscale is used to describe products or services that are expensive, of good quality, and intended to appeal to people in a high social class. [AM ] □ …upscale department-store chains such as Bloomingdale's and Saks Fifth Avenue. ● ADV [ADV after v] Upscale is also an adverb. □ T-shirts, the epitome of American casualness, have moved upscale. [in BRIT, use upmarket ]
up|set ◆◇◇ (upsets , upsetting , upset ) The verb and adjective are pronounced /ʌpse t/. The noun is pronounced /ʌ pset/. 1 ADJ [usu v-link ADJ ] If you are upset , you are unhappy or disappointed because something unpleasant has happened to you. □ After she died I felt very, very upset. □ Marta looked upset. □ She sounded upset when I said you couldn't give her an appointment. □ [+ by ] They are terribly upset by the break-up of their parents' marriage. [Also + about ] ● N‑COUNT Upset is also a noun. □ …stress and other emotional upsets.
2 VERB If something upsets you, it makes you feel worried or unhappy. □ [V n] She warned me not to say anything to upset him. □ [V pron-refl] Don't upset yourself, Ida. ● up|set|ting ADJ [usu v-link ADJ ] □ [+ for ] Childhood illness can be upsetting for children and parents alike. □ I will never see him again and that is a terribly upsetting thought.
3 VERB If events upset something such as a procedure or a state of affairs, they cause it to go wrong. □ [V n] …a deal that would upset the balance of power in the world's gold markets. ● N‑COUNT Upset is also a noun. □ [+ in ] Markets are very sensitive to any upsets in the economic machine.
4 VERB If you upset an object, you accidentally knock or push it over so that it scatters over a large area. □ [V n] Don't upset the piles of sheets under the box.
5 N‑COUNT A stomach upset is a slight illness in your stomach caused by an infection or by something that you have eaten. □ Paul was unwell last night with a stomach upset. ● ADJ [ADJ n] Upset is also an adjective. □ Larry is suffering from an upset stomach.
6 to upset the applecart → see applecart
up|shot /ʌ pʃɒt/ N‑SING The upshot of a series of events or discussions is the final result of them, usually a surprising result. □ The upshot is that we have lots of good but not very happy employees.
up|side down /ʌ psa I d daʊ n/ also upside-down
1 ADV [ADV after v, n ADV ] If something has been moved upside down , it has been turned round so that the part that is usually lowest is above the part that is usually highest. □ The painting was hung upside down. □ Salter held the bag by the corners and shook it upside down. ● ADJ Upside down is also an adjective. □ His eyes were open and everything he saw was upside down. □ Tony had an upside-down map of Britain on his wall.
2 to turn something upside down → see turn
up|stage /ʌ pste I dʒ/ (upstages , upstaging , upstaged )
1 ADV [ADV after v, be ADV ] When an actor is upstage or moves upstage , he or she is or moves towards the back part of the stage. [TECHNICAL ] □ Upstage and right of centre, Robert Morris stands with his back to the audience. □ Position a camera upstage. □ They slowly moved from upstage left into the centre. ● ADJ [ADJ n] Upstage is also an adjective. □ …the large upstage box that he used for his production of King Lear.
2 VERB If someone upstages you, they draw attention away from you by being more attractive or interesting. □ [V n] He had a younger brother who always publicly upstaged him.
up|stairs /ʌ psteə r z/
1 ADV [ADV after v] If you go upstairs in a building, you go up a staircase towards a higher floor. □ He went upstairs and changed into fresh clothes.
2 ADV [be ADV , n ADV ] If something or someone is upstairs in a building, they are on a floor that is higher than the ground floor. □ The restaurant is upstairs and consists of a large, open room. □ The boys are curled asleep in the small bedroom upstairs.
3 ADJ [ADJ n] An upstairs room or object is situated on a floor of a building that is higher than the ground floor. □ Marsani moved into the upstairs apartment. □ …an upstairs balcony.
4 N‑SING The upstairs of a building is the floor or floors that are higher than the ground floor. □ [+ of ] Frances invited them to occupy the upstairs of her home.
up|stand|ing /ʌpstæ nd I ŋ/ ADJ [usu ADJ n] Upstanding people behave in a morally acceptable way. [FORMAL ] □ You look like a nice upstanding young man.
up|start /ʌ pstɑː r t/ (upstarts ) N‑COUNT You can refer to someone as an upstart when they behave as if they are important, but you think that they are too new in a place or job to be treated as important. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ Many prefer a familiar authority figure to a young upstart.
up|state /ʌ pste I t/ ADJ [ADJ n] Upstate means belonging or relating to the parts of a state that are furthest to the north or furthest from the main city. [mainly AM ] □ …an idyllic village in upstate New York. ● ADV [ADV after v, n ADV ] Upstate is also an adverb. □ These buses will carry families upstate to visit relatives in prison.
up|stream /ʌ pstriː m/ ADV [ADV after v, be ADV , n ADV ] Something that is moving upstream is moving towards the source of a river, from a point further down the river. Something that is upstream is towards the source of a river. □ The water rose high enough for them to continue upstream. □ [+ of ] …the river police, whose headquarters are just upstream of the Isle St Louis. [Also + from ] ● ADJ [ADJ n] Upstream is also an adjective. □ Steps lead down to the subway from the upstream side.