Uphold
/ˌʌpˈhəʊld/ name, verb
name, verb ·Common ·High school level
Definitions
Verb
- 1 To hold up; to lift on high; to elevate.
"The mournful train/ Echoed her grief, [...]/ With groans, and hands upheld, to move his mind, /Besought his pity to their helpless kind"
- 2 stand up for; stick up for; of causes, principles, or ideals wordnet
- 3 To keep erect; to support; to sustain; to keep from falling
"A man's pride shall bring him low: but honour shall uphold the humble in spirit."
- 4 support against an opponent wordnet
- 5 To support by approval or encouragement; to vindicate; to confirm (something which has been questioned)
"but there was still a connexion upheld among the different ideas, which succeeded each other."
Show 1 more definition
- 6 keep or maintain in unaltered condition; cause to remain or last wordnet
Proper Noun
- 1 A surname.
Example
More examples"He emphasised carrying out promises made to the people, but he failed to uphold many commitments."
Etymology
From Middle English upholden, equivalent to up- + hold. Compare Dutch ophouden (“to stop, cease, hold up”), German aufhalten (“to stop, halt, detain”). Compare also Middle Low German upholt, Old Norse upphald (“uphold, support”).