up·stairs
ˌəp-ˈsterz 
1
: up the stairs : on or to a higher floor
2
: to or at a high altitude or higher position
kicked upstairs to company management
3
: in the head : intellectually
a little slow upstairs—
Tom Clancy
Tom Clancy
up·stairs
ˈəp-ˈsterz
: situated above the stairs especially on an upper floor
an upstairs bedroom
up·stairs
ˈəp-ˈsterz
ˈəp-ˌsterz
plural in form but singular or plural in construction
: the part of a building above the ground floor
Examples of upstairs in a Sentence
Adverb
When you go upstairs, bring these towels with you.
She was on her way upstairs when she heard a car drive up.
Adjective
You can use the upstairs bathroom.
Recent Examples on the WebStepheny Price, Fox News, 4 June 2024
My house, once strewn with shoe piles, backpacks, and dirty dishes upstairs, has now become a peaceful refuge.
—Courtenay Rudzinski, The Christian Science Monitor, 3 June 2024
Joseph Bernstein Robert Petkoff Krish Seenivasan Devin Murphy, New York Times, 3 June 2024
An upstairs bedroom has French doors leading to a Juliet balcony, while the basement features a separate workshop.
—Mary Carole McCauley, Baltimore Sun, 29 Feb. 2024
Bridget Fogarty, Journal Sentinel, 23 Feb. 2024
There’s a little fridge down there, so nobody has to go back [upstairs for drinks].
—Adam Tschorn, Los Angeles Times, 12 May 2023
See all Example Sentences for upstairs 
Adverb
My girls were sleeping upstairs when that happened a couple of weeks ago.
—Stepheny Price, Fox News, 4 June 2024
My house, once strewn with shoe piles, backpacks, and dirty dishes upstairs, has now become a peaceful refuge.
—Courtenay Rudzinski, The Christian Science Monitor, 3 June 2024
Adjective
On a humid morning late last summer, Bolger saw clients in an upstairs room at the ‘Quin House, a modish Back Bay members’ club in an ornate Commonwealth Avenue limestone.
—Joseph Bernstein Robert Petkoff Krish Seenivasan Devin Murphy, New York Times, 3 June 2024
An upstairs bedroom has French doors leading to a Juliet balcony, while the basement features a separate workshop.
—Mary Carole McCauley, Baltimore Sun, 29 Feb. 2024
Noun
Current designs for the expansion would make both City Hall and the library more accessible by connecting the two upstairs, placing public meetings and city clerk windows on the first floor of City Hall and upgrading the library with age- and ADA-friendly spaces, among other things.
—Bridget Fogarty, Journal Sentinel, 23 Feb. 2024
There’s a little fridge down there, so nobody has to go back [upstairs for drinks].
—Adam Tschorn, Los Angeles Times, 12 May 2023
See all Example Sentences for upstairs
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'upstairs.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near upstairs
Cite this Entry
“Upstairs.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/upstairs. Accessed 12 Jun. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
upstairs
1 of 3 adverb
up·stairs
ˈəp-ˈsta(ə)rz
-ˈste(ə)rz
1
: up the stairs : to or on a higher floor
2
: to or at a higher position or level
upstairs
2 of 3 adjective
up·stairs
ˈəp-ˈsta(ə)rz
-ˈste(ə)rz
: located on an upper floor
the upstairs bedroom
upstairs
3 of 3 noun
up·stairs
ˈəp-ˈsta(ə)rz
-ˈste(ə)rz
-ˈste(ə)rz
ˈəp-ˌsta(ə)rz,
-ˌste(ə)rz
: the part of a building above the ground floor
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share