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upscale

/ˈʌpˈskeɪl/
/ˈʌpskeɪl/
IPA guide

Things that are upscale are made for rich people — they are high class, well made, or just plain pricey.

If your friend takes you to a fancy, expensive restaurant for your birthday, you can describe it using the word upscale. Upscale neighborhoods are full of lovely, high-priced homes, and upscale vacations might involve yachts, exotic beaches, and private planes. Upscale is the opposite of downscale, which you could use to describe a run-down motel or a grubby, cheap diner. Both adjectives first came into use in the mid-1960s.

Definitions of upscale
  1. adjective
    appropriate for people with good incomes
    “an upscale neighborhood”
    “an upscale motel”
    synonyms:
    upmarket
    designed for consumers with high incomes
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