uphill

1 of 3

adverb

up·​hill ˈəp-ˈhil How to pronounce uphill (audio)
Synonyms of uphillnext
1
: upward on a hill or incline
2
: against difficulties
… seemed to be talking uphill.—Willa Cather

uphill

2 of 3

noun

up·​hill ˈəp-ˌhil How to pronounce uphill (audio)
: rising ground : ascent

uphill

3 of 3

adjective

up·​hill ˈəp-ˌhil How to pronounce uphill (audio)
1
: situated on elevated ground
2
a
: going up : ascending
b
: being the higher one or part especially of a set
specifically : being nearer the top of an incline
3
: difficult, laborious

Synonyms of uphill

Relevance

Noun

Adjective

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of uphill in a Sentence

Adverb It is easier to ride a bicycle downhill than uphill. Noun no matter where you go bicycle touring, the uphills always seem to outnumber the downhills Adjective It has been an uphill battle for her to get an education. an uphill battle to eradicate poverty in an area of the state that has never known anything else
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Adverb
That’s where low-level southeasterly flow will be pushed uphill by the terrain. — Matthew Cappucci, Washington Post, 10 Oct. 2026 Bomgren suggested options such as cycling, rowing, or walking briskly uphill. — Danielle Zickl, HEALTH, 10 Oct. 2026
Noun
The filmmaker shared that a production schedule of 30 days with five action set pieces was the ultimate uphill. — Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 17 Sep. 2026 Accelerating after a steep uphill brings on a casual sa-konk, while a spirited stab at the throttle builds more of a theatrical response from the DCT. — Caleb Jacobs, The Drive, 2 Sep. 2026
Adjective
This meant their path to electoral victory faced an uphill, unfair fight. — Elizabeth Shackelford, Chicago Tribune, 30 Oct. 2026 In September, the downhill camera generated about 8,100 citations, while the uphill camera issued 702. — Karen Morfitt, CBS News, 28 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for uphill

Word History

First Known Use

Adverb

1535, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1548, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

1613, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of uphill was in 1535

Phrases Containing uphill

Rhymes for uphill

See All Rhymes for uphill

Browse Nearby Words

Up-Helly-Aa
uphill
uphill battle
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Uphill.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/uphill. Accessed 1 Nov. 2026.

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Kids Definition

uphill

1 of 2 adverb
up·​hill ˈəp-ˈhil How to pronounce uphill (audio)
1
: in an upward direction
2
: against difficulties

uphill

2 of 2 adjective
up·​hill ˌəp-ˌhil How to pronounce uphill (audio)
1
: being on high ground
2
: going up : ascending
3
: difficult sense 1
an uphill struggle
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