upright
/ˈʌpraɪt/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈʌpraɪt/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈəp-ˌrīt/ (ame, mw) · /ˈʌp.raɪt/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈʌp.raɪt/ (ame, ipa)
upright — 形容詞
- uprightpositive
- more uprightcomparative
- most uprightsuperlative
1. placed or positioned so that the top is directly above the bottom, with no leani
直立的
筆直朝上，不傾斜的
placed or positioned so that the top is directly above the bottom, with no leaning to either side.
After the storm flattened the fence, Dario pushed the boards back into an upright position.
暴風雨吹倒了圍籬之後，Dario 花了一下午把木板重新扶回直立的位置。
common collocation 'upright position'
The museum guard reminded visitors to keep their umbrellas in an upright position when not in use.
博物館的保全提醒遊客，雨傘不用時要維持直立。
When the yoga teacher said 'stand upright,' Aoi straightened her back and lifted her chin.
瑜伽老師說「站直」的時候，Aoi 挺直了背、抬起了下巴。
Nkechi checked that the Christmas tree was perfectly upright before she started decorating it.
Nkechi 檢查聖誕樹是否完全直立，才開始掛上裝飾品。
- horizontal
lying flat rather than standing up
- slanted
leaning at an angle rather than straight up
- flat
resting on the ground rather than standing
用法筆記
Frequently appears in the set phrase 'in an upright position' to describe sitting or standing with the back straight.
常見錯誤
2. having a firm sense of right and wrong, and choosing to act with honesty and fai
正直的
品德高尚、誠實守正的
having a firm sense of right and wrong, and choosing to act with honesty and fairness even when doing so is difficult.
The community trusted Diego because he was an upright person who never broke a promise.
社區裡的人都信任 Diego，因為他是個正直的人，從不違背承諾。
common usage 'upright person'
Her grandfather was an upright citizen who volunteered at the local library for thirty years.
她的祖父是位正直的市民，在當地圖書館擔任了三十年的志工。
Tyler proved himself an upright person when he returned the extra money the cashier had given him by mistake.
Tyler 證明了自己是個正直的人，他將收銀員多找的錢退了回去。
The judge praised the young witness for giving an upright and honest account of the accident.
法官稱讚那位年輕的證人，因為他對事故經過做了誠實正直的描述。
- honest
more common and less formal; focuses specifically on truthfulness
- principled
similar register; stresses acting according to a personal moral code
- upstanding
very similar meaning; often used in 'upstanding member of the community'
- righteous
stronger, sometimes religious tone; can sound self-righteous in casual use
用法筆記
Commonly describes a person's character in respectful or formal settings, such as 'upright citizen' or 'upright judge.' Less common in casual conversation, where 'honest' or 'decent' is preferred.
常見錯誤
3. describing a type of object whose height is clearly greater than its width, usua
直立式
高度大於寬度的商品類型
describing a type of object whose height is clearly greater than its width, usually designed to save floor space.
The delivery driver struggled to fit the upright freezer through the kitchen doorway.
送貨員費了好大功夫才把那台直立式冷凍櫃搬進廚房門。
standard term 'upright freezer'
Bilal bought an upright vacuum cleaner because it took up less space in the closet.
Bilal 買了一台直立式吸塵器，因為放在儲物間比較不佔空間。
The music shop sells upright pianos that fit neatly against the wall of a small apartment.
那家樂器行賣的直立式鋼琴，很適合靠在小公寓的牆邊擺放。
Priya bought an upright garment steamer because it took up less space in her apartment than a full ironing board.
Priya 買了一台直立式掛燙機，因為在她公寓裡它比整套熨衣板更不佔空間。
- compact
describes items that are short or wide rather than tall
用法筆記
This sense only applies to certain manufactured products that come in both tall-and-narrow and wide-and-short versions (freezers, vacuums, pianos, etc.). It is not used for natural objects like trees or people.
常見錯誤
upright — 副詞
1. in a straight-up direction, with the back straight or the object held so that it
直立地
以筆直朝上的方式
in a straight-up direction, with the back straight or the object held so that its top points directly upward and it does not lean.
After washing the rug, Rohan hung it upright over the balcony rail to dry.
洗好地毯之後，Rohan 把它直立掛在陽台欄杆上晾乾。
verb + upright: 'hung it upright'
The museum displayed the ancient stone tablet standing upright in a glass case.
博物館把那塊古代石碑直立陳列在玻璃展示櫃裡。
Élise stood the heavy mirror upright against the wall while she fixed the bracket.
Élise 先把那面沉重的大鏡子靠牆立好，再去修理固定支架。
The neighbour's dog sat bolt upright when it heard a strange noise outside the cabin.
鄰居的狗聽到屋外有奇怪的聲音，突然筆直地坐了起來。
- vertically
more formal; used for direction rather than posture
- straight
simpler and broader; can also mean 'without bending'
- erectly
very formal; mainly describes human posture
- horizontally
lying flat rather than standing up
- flat
resting on a surface rather than standing
用法筆記
Usually follows a verb of position or movement: 'stand upright,' 'sit upright,' 'hold upright,' 'hang upright.' The idiomatic phrase 'bolt upright' means sitting or standing in a very straight, sudden position, often from surprise.
常見錯誤
upright — 名詞
- uprightsingular
- uprightsplural
1. a long vertical piece of wood, metal, or other material used to support a struct
立柱；支柱
垂直支撐結構的木柱或鋼柱
a long vertical piece of wood, metal, or other material used to support a structure or hold something in position.
The carpenter replaced the rotten upright that was holding up the porch roof.
木匠更換了那根支撐門廊屋頂的腐朽立柱。
countable noun in construction context
Noa checked each wooden upright in the fence to see which ones needed replacing.
Noa 檢查了圍籬的每一根木柱，看看哪些需要更換。
The garden shed collapsed because one of the steel uprights had rusted through at the base.
花園工具屋倒塌了，因為其中一根鋼柱的底部已經完全鏽蝕。
A thick wooden upright from the old barn was reused as a beam in the new workshop.
舊穀倉的一根粗木柱被重新利用，成了新工作室的橫樑。
用法筆記
Often found in construction and woodworking contexts. Can be used interchangeably with 'post' or 'pillar' in many cases, though 'upright' emphasises the vertical function.
常見錯誤
2. an informal short form of 'goalpost,' referring to either of the two vertical po
球門柱
運動球門兩側的垂直柱子
an informal short form of 'goalpost,' referring to either of the two vertical posts on each side of a goal in football, rugby, or American football.
The football hit the upright and bounced back onto the field instead of going in.
足球擊中了球門柱，彈回場上，沒有進門。
informal sports usage
Rohan's kick was so close that the ball grazed the left upright before missing the goal.
Rohan 那腳踢得非常接近，球擦過左側門柱，差一點就進了。
The supporters groaned when the striker's shot struck the upright for the third time in the match.
球迷們一片哀嚎，因為前鋒的射門已經是比賽中第三次打在門柱上了。
The header hit the far upright and bounced safely into the goalkeeper's hands.
頭球撞到了遠側門柱，反彈後安全落入守門員手中。
- goalpost
the full, more formal term
用法筆記
Always informal. In formal sports commentary or official rules, 'goalpost' is the standard term. 'Hit the upright' is a common expression among fans and players.
常見錯誤
❌ 'He kicked the ball between the uprights for a field goal.' (American football context) — This is actually CORRECT usage in American football, where 'uprights' specifically refers to the goalposts.
3. a piano whose strings run from top to bottom inside a rectangular wooden cabinet
直立鋼琴
琴弦垂直排列的鋼琴
a piano whose strings run from top to bottom inside a rectangular wooden cabinet, giving it a smaller footprint and a lower price than a grand piano.
The school music room had an old upright that had been tuned every year since 1995.
學校的音樂教室裡有一架老舊的直立鋼琴，從 1995 年起每年都會調音。
contrasted with grand piano
Charlotte's parents bought her a second-hand upright so she could practise scales at home.
Charlotte 的父母為她買了一架二手直立鋼琴，讓她在家裡練習音階。
Unlike a grand piano, an upright takes up much less floor space in a small living room.
跟平台鋼琴不一樣，直立鋼琴在狹小的客廳裡佔的地板空間少很多。
Tyler learned to play on a battered upright that his grandmother had bought in the 1960s.
Tyler 是在祖母一九六〇年代買的一架破舊直立鋼琴上學會彈琴的。
- vertical piano
less common technical term
- grand piano
larger piano with horizontal strings, used in concert settings
用法筆記
The full term 'upright piano' is more common than using 'upright' alone for this sense. In casual speech, people often say 'upright piano' to distinguish it from a grand or digital piano.