upright

/ˌʌpˈraɪt/

/ˈʌpraɪt/

Other forms: uprights

Something that's upright stands straight up. When you sit upright, your back is straight and vertical. Even your grandmother would approve of your posture.

Most cars have seats that can fold forward or lean back, and then snap upright, back into a normal sitting position; and when you're in class, you're usually expected to sit upright, facing your teacher at the front of the room. Another way to use upright is to mean "upstanding" or "trustworthy," so if your friend finds a wallet full of money and returns it to its owner, you can call her an upright citizen.

Definitions of upright

1. adjective

   in a vertical position; not sloping
   “an upright post”

   synonyms: unsloped

   perpendicular, vertical

   at right angles to the plane of the horizon or a base line
2. adjective

   upright in position or posture
   “he sat bolt upright”

   synonyms: erect, vertical

   erectile

   capable of being raised to an upright position

   fastigiate

   having clusters of erect branches (often appearing to form a single column)

   orthostatic

   pertaining to an upright standing posture

   passant

   in walking position with right foreleg raised

   rampant, rearing

   rearing on left hind leg with forelegs elevated and head usually in profile

   semi-climbing

   of plants that are semi-climbers

   semi-erect

   of plants that are partly erect

   semi-upright

   of animals that are partly erect

   standing

   having a supporting base

   stand-up

   requiring a standing position

   statant

   standing on four feet

   straight, unbent, unbowed

   erect in posture
3. adjective

   of moral excellence
   “an upright and respectable man”

   synonyms: good, just

   righteous

   characterized by or proceeding from accepted standards of morality or justice
4. noun

   a vertical structural member as a post or stake
   “the ball sailed between the uprights”

   synonyms: vertical

   types:

   column, pillar

   (architecture) a tall vertical cylindrical structure standing upright and used to support a structure

   jamb

   upright consisting of a vertical side member of a door or window frame

   post

   an upright consisting of a piece of timber or metal fixed firmly in an upright position

   scantling, stud

   an upright in house framing

   scape, shaft

   (architecture) upright consisting of the vertical part of a column

   stile

   an upright that is a member in a door or window frame

   atlas, telamon

   a figure of a man used as a supporting column

   bitt, bollard

   a strong post (as on a wharf or quay or ship for attaching mooring lines)

   carrick bitt

   either of a pair of strong posts that support a windlass on a ship's deck

   caryatid

   a supporting column carved in the shape of a person

   corner post

   a square post supporting a structural member at the corner of a building

   doorjamb, doorpost

   a jamb for a door

   gatepost

   either of two posts that bound a gate

   goalpost

   one of a pair of posts (usually joined by a crossbar) that are set up as a goal at each end of a playing field

   hitching post

   a fixed post with a ring to which a horse can be hitched to prevent it from straying

   hop pole

   a tall pole to support the wires on which the hop plant is trained

   king post

   post connecting the crossbeam to the apex of a triangular truss

   lamppost

   a metal post supporting an outdoor lamp (such as a streetlight)

   maypole

   a vertical pole or post decorated with streamers that can be held by dancers celebrating May Day

   newel

   the central pillar of a circular staircase

   newel, newel post

   the post at the top or bottom of a flight of stairs; it supports the handrail

   pilaster

   a rectangular column that usually projects about a third of its width from the wall to which it is attached

   pile, piling, spile, stilt

   a column of wood or steel or concrete that is driven into the ground to provide support for a structure

   queen post

   vertical tie post in a roof truss

   rudderpost, rudderstock

   a vertical post at the forward edge of a rudder that enables the rudder to pivot

   stake

   a strong wooden or metal post with a point at one end so it can be driven into the ground

   stanchion

   any vertical post or rod used as a support

   standard

   an upright pole or beam (especially one used as a support)

   stump

   (cricket) any of three upright wooden posts that form the wicket

   support column

   a column that supports a heavy weight

   telegraph pole, telegraph post, telephone pole

   tall pole supporting telephone wires

   timber

   a post made of wood

   whipping post

   post formerly used in public to which offenders are tied to be whipped

   type of:

   structural member

   support that is a constituent part of any structure or building
5. noun

   a piano with a vertical sounding board
   synonyms: upright piano

   types:

   spinet

   a small and compactly built upright piano

   type of:

   forte-piano, piano, pianoforte

   a keyboard instrument that is played by depressing keys that cause hammers to strike tuned strings and produce sounds