English dictionary — definitions & meanings

unwonted

adj

Not customary or habitual; unusual; infrequent; strange.

unwork

verb

To undo or destroy (work previously done).

unworkable

adj

Not workable.

unworldly

adj

Exceeding what is typically found in the world; exceptional, transcendent.

unworthy

adjective

Not deserving respect, attention, or a particular honor.

unwrap

verb

To remove the wrapping or covering from something.

unwrapped

adjective

Not covered in wrapping; still in its original, unpacked form.

unwritten

adjective

Not put into writing.

unwrought

adj

In the native state, before being worked on; especially used of bars of bullion and other metal

unyielding

adjective

Refusing to give in, bend, or change; firm.

unzip

verb

To open something by pulling apart its zip fastener.

unzipped

adjective

Not fastened with a zip.

unzipping

noun

The act of opening a zip fastener or decompressing a computer file.

up

adverb

Toward or in a higher position; away from the ground.

upbeat

adjective

Cheerful, optimistic, and positive in tone.

upbraid

verb

To criticize severely.

upbraiding

adj

Reproachful; chiding; censorious.

upbringing

noun

The way a person was raised and the values instilled in them during childhood.

upbuild

verb

To build up (literally).

upcoming

adj

Happening or arriving in the near future.

upcountry

adj

Living or situated remote from the seacoast.

upcycled

adj

Of waste materials, etc.: converted into new materials or products of higher quality and greater functionality.

update

noun

A piece of new or more current information about something.

updating

noun

The process of bringing something up to date.

updraft

noun

an upward current of air, especially a strong one

upending

noun

An act of overthrowing or turning over.

upfront

adj

Honest and direct, especially about something that might be uncomfortable to say.

upgrade

noun

An improved version of something, often a piece of technology or equipment.

upgraded

adj

Having been improved or replaced with a better version.

upgrading

noun

The process of replacing something with an improved version.

upheaval

noun

A sudden, dramatic change that disrupts the normal state of things.

uphill

adj

Going up a slope; located higher on a hill.

uphold

verb

To support or maintain something, such as a law, principle, or standard.

upholding

noun

The act of supporting or maintaining something.

upholster

verb

To fit padding, stuffing, springs, webbing and fabric covering to (furniture).

upholsterer

noun

One who upholsters furniture, especially a trained craftsman who does so as an occupation.

upholstery

noun

The soft covering, padding, and fabric used on furniture such as chairs and sofas.

upkeep

noun

The ongoing work or cost of keeping something in good condition.

upland

noun

The area in the interior of a country with a generally higher elevation.

uplandish

adj

Of or pertaining to uplands; pertaining to or situated in country districts.

uplands

name

An area in Lari Constituency, Kiambu County, Kenya.

uplift

verb

To raise someone's mood, spirits, or status.

uplifted

adj

Lifted upwards, raised.

uplifting

adj

Making people feel happier or more hopeful.

uplink

noun

The signal path used to send data from a ground station up to a satellite.

upload

verb

To send data from your own device to a server or another computer over a network.

uploaded

adj

Having been sent from a device to a server or another computer.

uploading

noun

The process of sending data from a device to a server.

upmarket

adj

Designed for customers with a high income.

upon

prep

A more formal or literary word for "on".

upper

adj

Positioned higher, in rank, level, or physical location, than something else.

uppercase

adj

Written in upper case; capital.

uppercut

noun

A punch thrown upward, typically aimed at the opponent's chin.

upping

noun

The act of increasing something.

uppity

adj

Arrogant or self-important, acting as if one is better or more important than one's actual position warrants.

Uppsala

name

A city in Sweden, home to Uppsala University, one of the oldest universities in Scandinavia.

upraise

verb

To raise something up; to elevate.

uprated

adj

That has been given a higher rating

upright

adj

Standing straight up, vertical.

uprightness

noun

The state of being honest, honourable, and moral.

uprise

verb

To rise; to get up.

uprising

noun

A rebellion or revolt by a group of people against those in power.

upriver

adv

Toward the source of a river, against the current.

uproar

noun

A loud, chaotic outburst of noise, protest, or anger.

uproarious

adj

Causing, or likely to cause, an uproar.

uproot

verb

To pull a plant out of the ground, roots and all.

uprooted

adj

Pulled out by the roots, or forced away from a familiar home or setting.

uprooter

noun

One who, or that which, uproots.

UPS

verb

To connect a device to a backup power supply so it stays on during an outage.

upscale

adj

Expensive and aimed at wealthier customers.

upscaling

noun

The act by which something is upscaled; an increase in size or numbers.

upset

adj

Unhappy, distressed, or annoyed.

upsetting

adj

Causing distress or sadness.

upshift

noun

A shift to a higher gear.

upshot

noun

The final result or main conclusion of a situation.

upside

noun

The positive or advantageous side of a situation.

upsolve

verb

To solve; explain.

upstage

verb

To draw attention away from someone else, often deliberately.

upstairs

adv

To or on a higher floor of a building.

upstanding

adj

Honest, respectable, and morally reliable.

upstart

noun

Someone who has suddenly risen to wealth, power, or status and hasn't yet earned proper social acceptance, or who acts arrogant about it.

upstate

noun

The northern or more rural part of a US state, away from its main city.

upstir

noun

Commotion; disturbance, tumult.

upstream

adj

Positioned or moving against the direction a river or current flows.

upsurge

noun

A sudden strong rise or flow.

upswing

noun

An upward swing.

uptake

noun

The ability to understand or grasp something quickly.

upthrow

verb

To throw or cast upwards.

upthrust

noun

An upward thrust.

uptick

noun

A small increase or upward change in something that has been steady or declining.

uptight

adj

Overly strict, anxious, or rigid about rules and behaviour; unable to relax.

Upton

name

An English surname and given name, originally a place name meaning "upper settlement."

uptown

noun

The residential or outer part of a city, away from the main business district.

upturn

noun

An upward turn or trend, especially in business activity or profit.

upward

adv

Moving from a lower position to a higher one.

upwards

adv

Toward a higher position; up.

upwind

adv

In the direction from which the wind is blowing.

ur

intj

A filler sound used while hesitating or searching for words, similar to "er" or "um."

Urals

name

A mountain range in Russia traditionally considered the boundary between Europe and Asia.

uranium

noun

A heavy, silvery-grey radioactive metal (element 92), used as fuel in nuclear reactors and in nuclear weapons.

Uranus

name

The seventh planet from the Sun, a pale blue-green ice giant discovered in 1781.

urarthritis

noun

Gouty inflammation of a joint.

urban

adj

Relating to, or located in, a city or town, as opposed to the countryside.

urbane

adj

Of a person (usually a man): having refined manners; courteous, polite, suave.

urchin

noun

A young child, especially a poor or mischievous one often seen roaming the streets.

Urdu

name

An Indo-Aryan language, closely related to Hindi, spoken mainly in Pakistan and parts of North India.

urethra

noun

The tube that carries urine out of the body from the bladder.

urge

noun

A strong impulse or desire to do something.

urgency

noun

The quality of needing immediate attention or action.

urgent

adj

Needing immediate attention or action.

urgently

adv

In a way that shows or requires immediate attention.

Uri

name

A masculine given name of Hebrew origin, meaning "my light" or "my flame," also a canton in Switzerland.

Uriah

name

A masculine given name of Hebrew origin, meaning "God is my light," a figure in the Old Testament.

urias

name

A male given name from Hebrew of biblical origin.

Uriel

name

A masculine given name of Hebrew origin, meaning "God is my light," also the name of an archangel in Jewish and Christian tradition.

urinal

noun

A fixture, typically wall-mounted, designed for men to urinate into.

urinary

adj

Relating to urine or the organs that produce and pass it.

urinate

verb

To release urine from the body.

urination

noun

The act or process of passing urine out of the body.

urinator

noun

A diver, especially someone who searches for things underwater.

urine

noun

The liquid waste produced by the kidneys and released from the body through the bladder.

URL

noun

The full web address of a page, image or file on the internet, typed into a browser or shared as a link — for example https://www.example.com/about.

urn

noun

A decorative vase, often with a rounded body and narrow neck, set on a footed base.

urningism

noun

Homosexuality, especially among males.

urologist

noun

A doctor who specialises in the urinary system and, in men, the reproductive organs.

Urquhart

name

A Scottish surname, derived from a place name in the Scottish Highlands meaning "on the wooded height."

ursid

noun

Any species of the family Ursidae; a bear, a giant panda, or any of certain extinct relatives.

Ursula

name

A feminine given name of Latin origin, meaning "little bear."

urticate

verb

To have or produce a stinging sensation, as of nettles or urticating hair.

Uruguay

name

A country in South America, on the Atlantic coast between Argentina and Brazil.

us

pron

The object form of "we" — used to refer to the speaker together with one or more other people.

usability

noun

The state or condition of being usable.

usable

adj

Able to be used, especially in a practical or convenient way.

usage

noun

The act or amount of using something, such as electricity, data, or a resource.

Usain

name

A masculine given name of Arabic origin, notably borne by sprinter Usain Bolt.

USB

noun

A standard system of connectors and cables for linking devices such as keyboards, phones, printers and drives to a computer, and for supplying power to them.

usborne

name

A rural municipality in Central Saskatchewan, Canada; in full, the Rural Municipality of Usborne No. 310.

use

verb

To employ something for a particular purpose.

used

adj

Previously owned or employed by someone else; not new.

useful

adjective

Able to be used effectively; helpful for a practical purpose.

usefully

adv

In a useful manner; in a way that achieves something

usefulness

noun

How helpful or practical something is.

useless

adjective

Not able to be used; serving no practical purpose.

useR

noun

A person who uses something, especially a product, service, or piece of technology.

username

noun

A name someone chooses to identify themselves when logging into a computer system, app, or website.

uses

verb

Third-person singular present tense of use — to employ something for a purpose.

usher

noun

A person who shows people to their seats, for example at a wedding, cinema, or theatre.

using

verb

Present participle of use — employing something for a purpose.

USO

noun

An unidentified object seen underwater, whether submerged or partly submerged.

USP

noun

The particular feature that makes a product, service or person different from and better than the competition, and the reason a customer should choose it.