1 upscale | Definition of upscale

upscale

adjective
up·​scale | \ ˈəp-ˈskāl How to pronounce upscale (audio) \

Definition of upscale

 (Entry 1 of 3)

: relating to, being, or appealing to affluent consumers also : of a superior quality

upscale

verb
upscaled; upscaling; upscales

Definition of upscale (Entry 2 of 3)

transitive verb

: to make (something) more appealing to affluent consumers : to make (something) more upscale The council is renaming them the Fashion Awards, globalizing them, moving the hoopla around them to the Royal Albert Hall and otherwise upscaling them.— Vanessa Friedman "Everybody's trying to upscale men's colognes because the prestige brands have taken share from the mass brands," says cosmetics industry consultant Allan Mottus.— Ronald Alsop also : to improve the quality of (something) … even retained a handwriting teacher to upscale her penmanship—no more tiny circles over her i's. — Brad Darrach

upscale

adverb

Definition of upscale (Entry 3 of 3)

: to or toward the upper, more expensive end of a range of products or services He tried to move upscale—toward higher-cost, higher-profit garments, which, in theory, would be less susceptible to price competition.— James Lardner … chef Celestino Drago has taken Sicilian cuisine upscale in his chic Santa Monica restaurant.— Thomas Matthews

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Other Words from upscale

Adjective

upscale adverb or transitive verb

Synonyms & Antonyms for upscale

Synonyms: Adjective

exclusive, high-end, upmarket

Antonyms: Adjective

dime-store, discount, down-market, downscale, low-end

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Examples of upscale in a Sentence

Adjective

a new upscale shopping center is under construction on the west end of town

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective

One frequent Pared customer is Jean-Georges Management, an upscale restaurant group in New York that includes ABC Cocina. Matthew Sedacca, BostonGlobe.com, "Cooking eggs in the a.m., shucking oysters in the p.m. — apps help staff restaurants," 1 Sep. 2019 One frequent Pared customer is Jean-Georges Management, an upscale restaurant group based in New York that includes ABC Cocina. Matthew Sedacca, New York Times, "Cooking Eggs in the Morning and Shucking Oysters at Night, Thanks to an App," 1 Sep. 2019 Authorities allege that John Schiefer, 38, and Shavonne Webster, 40, bludgeoned William Webb to death using a hammer inside the man’s upscale Marina del Rey home on Aug. 15. Los Angeles Times, "He listed his luxury Marina del Rey home for sale. Then, police say, he was murdered," 27 Aug. 2019 At sunset, a few dozen mourners formed a circle around candles, singing and praying, at the grassy spot just outside the gates of upscale housing development where 27-year-old Thakuri was killed. Bruce Finley, The Denver Post, "A year later, Nepali-Americans mourn, demand justice in Westminster police killing of unarmed immigrant Birendra Thakuri," 25 Aug. 2019 The team behind the Antidote, which plans to open an upscale cannabis restaurant in the spring, also plans to open a commissary kitchen to produce sauces and dressings infused with THC, the psychoactive compound in cannabis. Maura Judkis, chicagotribune.com, "Cannabis restaurants are coming to California, with ‘budtenders’ and ‘flower’ service," 22 Aug. 2019 Aldaco’s is an ambitious, upscale Mexican restaurant with grilled fish and arrachera steaks. Mike Sutter, ExpressNews.com, "Review: Aldaco’s Mexican Cuisine restaurant is mid-level Mexican food in San Antonio’s Stone Oak," 22 Aug. 2019 Chook is a fast-casual but high-quality alternative to Seidel’s two more upscale and award-winning Denver restaurants. Josie Sexton, The Know, "Chook will open a second rotisserie chicken restaurant — and bar — in Denver this fall," 20 Aug. 2019 More upscale than the Elfa system, Avera closets feature wood grain finish, soft close drawers, and back wall panels. Megan Barber, Curbed, "The Container Store is having a huge sale on closet systems," 20 Aug. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'upscale.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of upscale

Adjective

1966, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1963, in the meaning defined above

Adverb

1977, in the meaning defined above

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More Definitions for upscale

upscale

adjective

English Language Learners Definition of upscale

 (Entry 1 of 2)

US : relating to or appealing to people who have a lot of money

upscale

verb

English Language Learners Definition of upscale (Entry 2 of 2)

US : to make (something) more appealing to people who have a lot of money

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More from Merriam-Webster on upscale

Rhyming Dictionary: Words that rhyme with upscale

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for upscale

Nglish: Translation of upscale for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of upscale for Arabic Speakers