upstairs
/ˌʌpˈstɛɹz/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.87 in modern English
10
Scrabble Score
8
Letters
2
Syllables
7
Unique Chars
Meaning
adj
Located on a higher floor or level of a building.
adj
Originating in or associated with a higher matrix clause, as opposed to a lower embedded clause.
adv
Up the stairs; on or to a higher floor or level.
adv
In or to a higher matrix clause, as opposed to a lower embedded clause.
noun
An upper storey.
Example Sentences
- "We rent out the upstairs bedroom to a student."
- "That fastball was upstairs for a ball."
- "Weaker (tolerant) quantificational values (some and many, sometimes and often) and stronger values (all, always) rule out any lower-clause reading for upstairs negation in the same contexts."
- "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."
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.
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˌʌpˈstɛɹz/
- British English: /ˌʌpˈstɛəz/
Usage
Inflected Forms
further upstairs (comparative)
farther upstairs (comparative)
furthest upstairs (superlative)
farthest upstairs (superlative)
up stairs (alternative, archaic)
up-stairs (alternative, archaic)