— uprightly , adv. — uprightness , n.
/up"ruyt', up ruyt"/ , adj.
1. erect or vertical, as in position or posture.
2. raised or directed vertically or upward.
3. adhering to rectitude; righteous, honest, or just: an upright person.
4. being in accord with what is right: upright dealings.
n.
5. the state of being upright or vertical.
6. something standing erect or vertical, as a piece of timber.
7. an upright piano.
8. Usually, uprights . Chiefly Football. the goalposts.
adv.
9. in an upright position or direction; vertically.
v.t.
10. to make upright.
[ bef. 900; ME, OE upriht (c. G aufrecht ). See UP, RIGHT ]
Syn. 1. plumb. UPRIGHT, ERECT, VERTICAL, PERPENDICULAR imply that something is in the posture of being straight upward, not leaning. That which is UPRIGHT is in a position corresponding to that of a person standing up: a decaying tree no longer standing upright; an upright piano. ERECT emphasizes the straightness of position or posture: proud and erect; A flagpole stands erect.
VERTICAL suggests upward direction, esp. along the shortest line from the earth to a level above it: the vertical edge of a door; ornamented by vertical lines. PERPENDICULAR, a term frequently interchangeable with VERTICAL, is used esp. in mathematics: the perpendicular side of a right triangle; to erect a perpendicular line from the base of a figure. 3. honorable. 6. pole, prop, pier, pile, column.
Ant. 1. leaning, horizontal.