Standard Lemma guide

upstairs

adj · adv · noun · 11 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • General-American: /ˌʌpˈstɛɹz/
  • General-American: /ˈʌpˌstɛɹz/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˌʌpˈstɛəz/
  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˈʌpˌstɛəz/
  • Australian: /ɐpˈsteːz/
  • Australian: /ˈɐpsteːz/
  • /ɐpˈstiəz/ New Zealand, cheer–chair merger
  • /ˈɐpˌstiəz/ New Zealand, cheer–chair merger
  • New-Zealand: /ɐpˈsteəz/ without the cheer–chair merger
  • New-Zealand: /ˈɐpˌsteəz/ without the cheer–chair merger
  • Scotland: /ʌpˈsteɹz/
  • Scotland: /ˈʌpˌsteɹz/
  • Northern-England: /ˌʊpˈstɛːz/
  • Northern-England: /ˈʊpˌstɛːz/
  • /ʊpˈstɜː(ɹ)z/ Lancashire, fair–fur merger
  • /ˈʊpˌstɜː(ɹ)z/ Lancashire, fair–fur merger
  • rhymes with -ɛə(ɹ)z
  • homophone: upstares
  • homophone: upstirs (fair–fur merger)
  • CMU ARPABET: AH0 P S T EH1 R Z Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Located on a higher floor or level of a building.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • We rent out the upstairs bedroom to a student.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Pertaining to a pitched ball that is high, and usually outside the strike zone.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: informal

Topics: ball-games, baseball, games, hobbies, lifestyle, sports

Examples

  • That fastball was upstairs for a ball.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

adv

Meaning 3

Up the stairs; on or to a higher floor or level.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • I’ll take my shoes and put them away the next time I go upstairs.
  • I hate the people who live upstairs, and I especially hate their piano.
  • The woman upstairs told the people outside to stop reveling.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

adv

Meaning 4

In the brain or mind.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: informal

Examples

  • After Joe did a hula dance on the kitchen table, his friends wondered if he didn’t have a lot going on upstairs.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

adv

Meaning 5

In heaven, especially with regard to where a deity might be found.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: informal

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

noun

Meaning 6

An upper storey.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

noun

Meaning 7

A woman's breasts.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: euphemistic, slang

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

8

adjective

Meaning 8

on or of upper floors of a building

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • the upstairs maid
  • an upstairs room

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: upstair

Antonyms: downstairs

9

adverb

Meaning 9

on a floor above

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • they lived upstairs

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: up the stairs, on a higher floor

Antonyms: downstairs

10

adverb

Meaning 10

with respect to the mind

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • she's a bit weak upstairs

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

11

noun

Meaning 11

the part of a building above the ground floor

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • no one was allowed to see the upstairs

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: part, portion

History

Etymology

Etymology tree English up- Proto-Indo-European *steygh- Proto-Indo-European *-eti Proto-Indo-European *stéygheti Proto-Germanic *stīganą Proto-Indo-European *-yeti Proto-Indo-European *-éyeti Proto-Germanic *-janą Proto-Germanic *staigijaną Proto-Indo-European *-rós Proto-Germanic *-raz Proto-Germanic *staigraz Proto-Germanic *staigriz Proto-West Germanic *staigri Old English stǣġer Middle English steire English stair English -s English upstairs From up- + stair + -s.

Across languages

Translations

70 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: горе (gore) — located on a higher floor of a building
  • Chickasaw: aba' — located on a higher floor of a building
  • Esperanto: superŝtupara — located on a higher floor of a building
  • French: en haut — located on a higher floor of a building
  • Ancient Greek: ὑπερῷος (huperōîos) — located on a higher floor of a building
  • Hungarian: fenti — located on a higher floor of a building
  • Hungarian: emeleti — located on a higher floor of a building
  • Persian: طبقهٔ بالا (tabaqe-ye bâlâ) — located on a higher floor of a building
  • Polish: na górze — located on a higher floor of a building
  • Ukrainian: ве́рхній по́верх (vérxnij póverx) — located on a higher floor of a building
  • Belarusian: наве́рх (navjérx) — up the stairs; on or to a higher floor or level
  • Belarusian: уве́рх (uvjérx) — up the stairs; on or to a higher floor or level
  • Belarusian: ўверх (wvjerx) — up the stairs; on or to a higher floor or level
  • Belarusian: наве́рсе (navjérsje) — up the stairs; on or to a higher floor or level
  • Belarusian: уве́рсе (uvjérsje) — up the stairs; on or to a higher floor or level
  • Belarusian: ўве́рсе (wvjérsje) — up the stairs; on or to a higher floor or level
  • Bulgarian: горе (gore) — up the stairs; on or to a higher floor or level
  • Bulgarian: на горния етаж (na gornija etaž) — up the stairs; on or to a higher floor or level
  • Catalan: dalt — up the stairs; on or to a higher floor or level
  • Chickasaw: aba' — up the stairs; on or to a higher floor or level
  • Chinese Mandarin: 樓上 /楼上 (lóushàng) — up the stairs; on or to a higher floor or level
  • Czech: nahoře — up the stairs; on or to a higher floor or level
  • Czech: nahoru — up the stairs; on or to a higher floor or level
  • Dutch: boven — up the stairs; on or to a higher floor or level
  • Esperanto: superŝtupare — up the stairs; on or to a higher floor or level
  • Finnish: yläkerrassa — up the stairs; on or to a higher floor or level
  • Finnish: yläkertaan — up the stairs; on or to a higher floor or level
  • French: en haut — up the stairs; on or to a higher floor or level
  • French: à l'étage — up the stairs; on or to a higher floor or level
  • German: treppauf — up the stairs; on or to a higher floor or level
  • German: oben — up the stairs; on or to a higher floor or level
  • German: nach oben — up the stairs; on or to a higher floor or level
  • German: herauf — up the stairs; on or to a higher floor or level
  • Greek: πάνω (páno) — up the stairs; on or to a higher floor or level
  • Hungarian: odafönt — up the stairs; on or to a higher floor or level
  • Hungarian: odafent — up the stairs; on or to a higher floor or level
  • Hungarian: odafenn — up the stairs; on or to a higher floor or level
  • Hungarian: az emeleten — up the stairs; on or to a higher floor or level
  • Indonesian: lantai atas — up the stairs; on or to a higher floor or level
  • Irish: suas an staighre — up the stairs; on or to a higher floor or level
  • Irish: thuas an staighre — up the stairs; on or to a higher floor or level
  • Italian: di sopra — up the stairs; on or to a higher floor or level
  • Japanese: 階上 (kaijō) — up the stairs; on or to a higher floor or level
  • Korean: 위층에 (wicheung'e) — up the stairs; on or to a higher floor or level
  • Korean: 위층으로 (wicheung'euro) — up the stairs; on or to a higher floor or level
  • Central Kurdish: سەرەوە (serewe) — up the stairs; on or to a higher floor or level
  • Norman: à haut — up the stairs; on or to a higher floor or level
  • Old English: uppe — up the stairs; on or to a higher floor or level
  • Old English: upp — up the stairs; on or to a higher floor or level
  • Polish: na górze — up the stairs; on or to a higher floor or level
  • Polish: na górę — up the stairs; on or to a higher floor or level
  • Portuguese: em cima — up the stairs; on or to a higher floor or level
  • Russian: наверху́ (naverxú) — up the stairs; on or to a higher floor or level
  • Russian: вверху́ (vverxú) — up the stairs; on or to a higher floor or level
  • Russian: на ве́рхнем этаже́ (na vérxnem etažé) — up the stairs; on or to a higher floor or level
  • Russian: наве́рх (navérx) — up the stairs; on or to a higher floor or level
  • Russian: вверх (vverx) — up the stairs; on or to a higher floor or level
  • Russian: на ве́рхний эта́ж (na vérxnij etáž) — up the stairs; on or to a higher floor or level
  • Lower Sorbian: górjejce — up the stairs; on or to a higher floor or level
  • Spanish: arriba — up the stairs; on or to a higher floor or level
  • Sundanese: tonggoh — up the stairs; on or to a higher floor or level
  • Ottoman Turkish: یوقاری (yukarı) — up the stairs; on or to a higher floor or level
  • Ukrainian: нагорі́ (nahorí) — up the stairs; on or to a higher floor or level
  • Ukrainian: наверху́ (naverxú) — up the stairs; on or to a higher floor or level
  • Ukrainian: наго́ру наве́рх (nahóru) — up the stairs; on or to a higher floor or level
  • Welsh: lan lofft — up the stairs; on or to a higher floor or level
  • Welsh: lan staer — up the stairs; on or to a higher floor or level
  • Welsh: i fyny'r grisiau — up the stairs; on or to a higher floor or level
  • Yiddish: אויבן (oybn) — up the stairs; on or to a higher floor or level
  • Yucatec Maya: kaʼanal — up the stairs; on or to a higher floor or level
Real reading context

upstairs in complete knowledge articles