adj. /up"skayl"/ ; v. /up skayl"/ ; n. /up"skayl'/ , adj., v., upscaled, upscaling , n. Informal.
adj.
1. located at, moving toward, or of or for the upper end of a social or economic scale: The boutique caters to upscale young career people.
2. luxurious, costly, or elegant.
v.t.
3. to improve the quality, value, or rating of: a five-year plan to upscale the neighborhood.
n.
4. ( used with a pl. v. ) elegant, elite, privileged persons collectively (usually prec. by the ): shops that only the upscale can afford to patronize.
[ 1970-75, Amer.; UP- + SCALE 3 ]