What does "escalator" mean?
Anything that escalates.
Escalator
/ˈɛs.kə.leɪ.tɚ/ noun, verb, slang
noun, verb, slang ·Moderate ·College level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Anything that escalates.
- Grammar: escalator is listed as noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: moving staircase, escalator clause, lift, mechanical staircase.
- Useful contrasts: conciliators, nonmotorized stairs, static stairs.
- Usage evidence: People who are not in a hurry stand on the right side of the escalator.
How to use "escalator"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "escalator" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "escalator" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "escalator" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "escalator" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "escalator" is acting as noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "moving staircase" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "escalator", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 Anything that escalates.
"Fourth, communication researchers study the role of stress and negative attitudes as key contributors to conflict, anger as an escalator of conflict, and emotional residues as barriers to reconciliation."
- 2 a stairway whose steps move continuously on a circulating belt wordnet
- 3 A motor-driven mechanical device consisting of a continuous loop of steps that automatically conveys people from one floor to another.
"There is a plastic molly-guard covering the escalator's shutdown button to prevent little kids from pushing it and stopping the escalator."
- 4 a clause in a contract that provides for an increase or a decrease in wages or prices or benefits etc. depending on certain conditions (as a change in the cost of living index) wordnet
- 5 An upward or progressive course.
"Lots of people fell for the pitch that real estate was an up-only escalator into the American Dream"
Show 1 more definition
- 6 An escalator clause.
"They agreed to a cost-of-living escalator."
Verb
- 1 To move by escalator. informal, intransitive
"We escalatored to the second floor."
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"People who are not in a hurry stand on the right side of the escalator."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "escalator"?
Common synonyms include: moving staircase, escalator clause, lift, mechanical staircase, moving stairs, moving stairway.
How do you use "escalator" in a sentence?
People who are not in a hurry stand on the right side of the escalator.
How do you pronounce "escalator"?
Pronounced /ˈɛs.kə.leɪ.tɚ/.
Etymology
From the former trademark Escalator, created by American inventor Charles Seeberger in 1900, from Latin e (“from, out of”) + scala (“ladder”) + -tor, which forms nouns of agency. See the appendix. Broader usage may be influenced by escalate, and is equivalent to escalate + -or. For an alternative etymology, see the Online Etymology Dictionary.