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Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective upright differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of upright are conscientious, honest, honorable, just, and scrupulous. While all these words mean "having or showing a strict regard for what is morally right," upright implies a strict adherence to moral principles.

a stern and upright minister

How are the words conscientious and scrupulous related as synonyms of upright?

Both conscientious and scrupulous imply an active moral sense governing all one's actions and painstaking efforts to follow one's conscience.

conscientious in the completion of her assignments
scrupulous in carrying out the terms of the will

When might honest be a better fit than upright?

In some situations, the words honest and upright are roughly equivalent. However, honest stresses adherence to such virtues as truthfulness, candor, or fairness.

known for being honest in business dealings

When can honorable be used instead of upright?

The synonyms honorable and upright are sometimes interchangeable, but honorable suggests a firm holding to codes of right behavior and the guidance of a high sense of honor and duty.

a difficult but honorable decision

When is just a more appropriate choice than upright?

While in some cases nearly identical to upright, just stresses conscious choice and regular practice of what is right or equitable.

workers given just compensation

Examples Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of upright One common question people have is whether wine should be stored on its side or upright. Emily Price, Forbes, 7 Oct. 2024 Reports of large, hairy, humanlike figures that walk upright and stalk the dense forests of America’s Pacific Northwest and Appalachian Mountains have sparked the imagination and curiosity of believers and skeptics alike. Scott Travers, Forbes, 26 Oct. 2024 Stand upright, looking forward with your feet together and arms down at your sides. Jakob Roze, Health, 22 Oct. 2024 This caused the vehicle to flip and land upright, according to a Kansas Highway Patrol trooper crash report obtained by the outlets. Escher Walcott, People.com, 7 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for upright 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for upright
Adjective
  • Would Adams have preferred a deeply dishonorable man in the White House over an honorable woman?
    Amanda Castro, Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2024
  • Petty didn’t back down and MCA changed their plans, enshrining his reputation as an honorable guy who cared more about his fans than his own bottom line.
    Al Shipley, SPIN, 1 Nov. 2024
Adjective
  • This leads to an honest and bracing conversation about the nature of addiction.
    Noel Murray, Vulture, 7 Nov. 2024
  • Healthy relationships, open or closed, involve honest communication.
    Jeanne Phillips, The Mercury News, 6 Nov. 2024
Adjective
  • This crazy star seems to communicate with a smaller, five-pointed star to its upper right that is mainly light blue, though its loose weave of horizontal and vertical marks also contains other colors.
    Barry Schwabsky, ARTnews.com, 5 Nov. 2024
  • Horizontal and vertical keystone adjustment is cooked in, along with four-corner and six-point alignment and a bunch of image presets, to help make setup a relatively painless affair.
    Paul Ridden, New Atlas, 1 Nov. 2024
Adjective
  • Second, most congressional Republicans have abandoned ethical norms.
    Letters To The Editor, The Mercury News, 16 Nov. 2024
  • The Supreme Court’s deference to FDR during World War II resulted in unjustifiable ethical breaches, but its new code of conduct has not resolved the question of when a justice should be disqualified from a case.
    Jed S. Rakoff, The New York Review of Books, 14 Nov. 2024
Adjective
  • Modena says the new car will accelerate from zero to 62 mph in 4.7 seconds and top out at a respectable 177 mph.
    Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 5 Nov. 2024
  • Speak No Evil, a James McAvoy–starring remake of a 2022 Danish-Dutch psycho-thriller of the same name, delivered respectable returns for Blumhouse ($76.2 million on a $15 million budget).
    Chris Lee, Vulture, 31 Oct. 2024
Adjective
  • This prompted a standing ovation and choruses of pro-Trump chants.
    Charles Duhigg, The New Yorker, 7 Oct. 2024
  • In the biopic, Jolie, 49, transforms into the late opera singer Maria Callas, and prior to Sunday’s carpet, the mom of six was riding high from Maria garnering strong reviews as well as earning standing ovations at the Venice Film Festival, where Jolie cried, and the Telluride Film Festival.
    Brian Anthony Hernandez, People.com, 29 Sep. 2024
Adjective
  • The panel's high refresh rate is also a nice touch, with a peak 120Hz for gaming and media creation.
    Brian Westover, PCMAG, 7 Nov. 2024
  • His work garnered him a few nicknames, more followers and a nice pay bump.
    Kaycee Sloan, The Enquirer, 6 Nov. 2024
Adjective
  • Cliffhangers come every 10 minutes until the final big reveal, which offers a surprisingly reassuring vision of an election leading to a righteous and moral outcome.
    Randy McMullen, The Mercury News, 1 Nov. 2024
  • This is McQueen’s method: a passage of lyrical beauty, a chaser of righteous struggle.
    Justin Chang, The New Yorker, 25 Oct. 2024

Thesaurus Entries Near upright

Cite this Entry

“Upright.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/upright. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on upright

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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