: relating to, being, or appealing to affluent consumers
also
: of a superior quality
upscaled; upscaling; upscales
1
: to make (something) more appealing to affluent consumers : to make (something) more upscale
The council is renaming them the Fashion Awards, globalizing them, moving the hoopla around them to the Royal Albert Hall and otherwise upscaling them.—
Vanessa Friedman
Vanessa Friedman"Everybody's trying to upscale men's colognes because the prestige brands have taken share from the mass brands," says cosmetics industry consultant Allan Mottus.—Ronald Alsop
Ronald Alsop
also
: to improve the quality of (something)
… even retained a handwriting teacher to upscale her penmanship—no more tiny circles over her i's. —Brad Darrach
Brad Darrach 2
: to increase the size; scope, or scale of (something)
A star is an upscaled nuclear reactor, not a bonfire.—Laurence A. Marschall
Laurence A. MarschallAs a result, an upscaling of the problem of underrepresentation to the national scale mobilizes scalar politics …—Emily Skop
Emily Skop
: to or toward the upper, more expensive end of a range of products or services
He tried to move upscale—toward higher-cost, higher-profit garments, which, in theory, would be less susceptible to price competition.—James Lardner
James Lardner… chef Celestino Drago has taken Sicilian cuisine upscale in his chic Santa Monica restaurant.—Thomas Matthews
Thomas MatthewsExamples of upscale in a Sentence
Adjective
a new upscale shopping center is under construction on the west end of town
Recent Examples on the Web
Jamie Graziano, Charlotte Observer, 14 Mar. 2025
The Essential Baby Tee, now just $19, is the perfect versatile basic to wear with jeans and sneakers for a laidback look (or even layered under a button-down or light cardigan for something more upscale).
—Rosie Marder, Travel + Leisure, 11 Mar. 2025
Quartz Intelligence Newsroom, Quartz, 12 Mar. 2025
Now, to better cater to that demographic, Akoni Eyewear is undergoing a rebranding aimed at further upscaling its positioning, following the brand’s mantra of shokunin, the Japanese philosophy of perfecting one’s craft, and in sync with the overall upscaling of the eyewear sector.
—Martino Carrera, WWD, 18 Sep. 2024
See All Example Sentences for upscale
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.
Adjective
The atmosphere is upscale and inviting, with a great drink selection featuring plenty of bourbons and craft cocktails.
—Jamie Graziano, Charlotte Observer, 14 Mar. 2025
The Essential Baby Tee, now just $19, is the perfect versatile basic to wear with jeans and sneakers for a laidback look (or even layered under a button-down or light cardigan for something more upscale).
—Rosie Marder, Travel + Leisure, 11 Mar. 2025
Verb
Research and development expenses increased by 67% to $51.5 million in 2024 from $30.9 million in 2023, primarily due to activities related to the Pivotal Trial and upscaling manufacturing capabilities.
—Quartz Intelligence Newsroom, Quartz, 12 Mar. 2025
Now, to better cater to that demographic, Akoni Eyewear is undergoing a rebranding aimed at further upscaling its positioning, following the brand’s mantra of shokunin, the Japanese philosophy of perfecting one’s craft, and in sync with the overall upscaling of the eyewear sector.
—Martino Carrera, WWD, 18 Sep. 2024
See All Example Sentences for upscale
Cite this Entry
“Upscale.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/upscale. Accessed 18 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share