Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

uphold

/ˌʌpˈhəʊld/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.52 in modern English

Syllables: up-hold
IPA: /ˌʌpˈhəʊld/

12

Scrabble Score

6

Letters

2

Syllables

6

Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

To hold up; to lift on high; to elevate.

Transitive verb

verb

To keep erect; to support; to sustain; to keep from falling.

Transitive verb

verb

To support by approval or encouragement; to vindicate; to confirm (something which has been questioned).

Transitive verb

name

Example Sentences

"The mournful train/ Echoed her grief, [...]/ With groans, and hands upheld, to move his mind, /Besought his pity to their helpless kind"
"A man's pride shall bring him low: but honour shall uphold the humble in spirit."
"That misbegotten devil, Falconbridge, /In spite of spite, alone upholds the day."
"Uttering such broken ejaculations Mrs. Hart burst into a passion of tears, and only Lord Chetwynde's strong arms prevented her from falling. / He upheld her."
"Wednesday June 02, 2021, Has the Northern Ireland Protocol undermined the United Kingdom? Similarly, both the Government and the EU argued at the time the deal was agreed that they were upholding the Good Friday Agreement by implementing the Protocol."
"In early May [of 2025], Mr. Trump said, “I don’t know” when asked by NBC News if he had to uphold the Constitution."

Etymology

From Middle English upholden, equivalent to up- + hold. Compare Dutch ophouden (“to stop, cease, hold up”), German aufhalten (“to stop, halt, detain”). Compare also Middle Low German upholt, Old Norse upphald (“uphold, support”).

Origin

Source language: Middle English

Word Breakdown

Prefix: up
Root: upholden

Usage

Transitive verb

Inflected Forms

upholds (present, singular) upholding (participle, present) upheld (past) upheld (participle, past) upholden (archaic, participle) Upholds (plural)

Derived Forms

upholdable upholdatory upholder upholster upholsterer

Synonyms

vindicate maintain continue carry on bear on preserve

Rhymes With

old told hold gold cold sold controlled bold rolled fold enrolled mold

Questions

How do you pronounce uphold?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˌʌpˈhəʊld/.
What does uphold mean?: To hold up; to lift on high; to elevate.
Where does uphold come from?: It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce uphold

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “uphold”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˌʌpˈhəʊld/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
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