Definition Synonyms
Definition of upon - Reverso English Dictionary
Preposition
1.
sequenceindicating an immediate sequence
- Upon finishing his meal, he left.
2.
foundationindicating a basis or foundation
- The decision was made upon careful consideration.
3.
timeat a specific point in time
- Upon arrival, please check in at the desk.
4.
positionon or onto something
- He placed the hat upon his head.
Expressions with upon
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use something as a foundation
The movie is based upon a true story.
use as a foundation for further development
The new theory builds upon previous research findings.
find or think of something unexpectedly, often through luck
She hit upon a better plan during the meeting.
hunt and kill for food
Lions prey upon zebras and other herbivores in the wild..
indicate a time long ago in stories or past events
Once upon a time, there was a brave knight.
reach a selection after thinking or discussion
After two hours, they settled upon a date everyone could manage.
briefly mention a subject without detail
The speaker touched upon the main points of the report.
use resources or knowledge for a purpose
She had to draw upon her savings to pay the bills.
give more details or information about something
Can you expand upon your answer for the class?
take unfair advantage of someone's time help or kindness
I don't want to impose upon your family during the holidays.
to take action based on something
He decided to act upon the lawyer's advice immediately..
cause something to happen to someone
His actions will bring upon him serious consequences.
find or see someone or something when not looking for them
I chanced upon an old friend at the market..
meet someone unexpectedly
We came upon an old friend at the market.
depend on someone or something for help or expected result
You can count upon me to finish the job.
come to a place in a big group
After the concert, fans descended on the station for last trains.
visit a place in large numbers
Tourists descended upon the museum during the holidays.
begin a journey or voyage
They will embark upon their adventure at dawn.
use something when other things fail
When his plan failed, he had to fall back upon his savings.
eat or consume as food
The caterpillars feed upon the leaves of the plant.
be suddenly or strongly overcome by bleak thoughts and deep sorrow
After the call, gloom descended upon him and he couldn’t focus.
find or discover by chance
She happened upon an old friend at the market..
make someone understand the importance of something
The teacher impressed upon the students the value of honesty.
regard with contempt or disdain
She tends to look down upon anyone not sharing her values.
Origin of upon
Old English, uppan (up) + on (on)
Terms with upon included in their meaning
💡 A powerful way to uncover related words, idioms, and expressions linked by the same idea — and explore meaning beyond exact word matches.
body
force air upon with the mouth
greeting
friendly greeting used upon arrival
greeting
greet someone warmly upon arrival
arrival registration
register upon arrival at a hotel or airport
registration process
act of registering upon arrival
dependency
be contingent upon a condition or factor
prayer request
invoke divine favor upon
conditionality
be contingent upon
shapes
bent over upon itself
restricted
having certain limits placed upon it
immediate impression
immediately upon seeing something or someone
emotion
instant attraction to someone upon first meeting
immediacy
immediately upon touching or meeting
agreement
decision is made and agreed upon
officially sanctioned
officially accepted or agreed upon
honor
bestow honor or dignity upon
ceremony
confer a degree or diploma upon someone
grammatical voice
in grammar, describes a verb form where the subject is acted upon
linguistics
grammatical voice where the subject is acted upon
upon request
upon being asked or requested
reliable
relied upon for support or help
conditional
conditioned upon varying factors or circumstances
agreement
agreed upon and accepted by all parties
agreement
officially agreed upon or decided
Examples of upon in a sentence
The team celebrated upon winning the championship. The theory is based upon solid evidence. The contract was agreed upon mutual consent. Upon completion, submit your report online. The contract ends upon the project's conclusion. The book was placed upon the shelf.
Snow fell gently upon the rooftops.
View all translations of upon
Click below to see the appropriate translations facing each meaning.
- French:dès, sur la base de, ...
- German:nach, aufgrund von, ...
- Italian:appena, basato su, ...
- Spanish:tras, sobre, ...
- Portuguese:após, com base em, ...
- Chinese:一...就..., 基于, ...
- Japanese:とすぐに, 〜に基づいて, ...
- Arabic:فور, على, ...
- Hebrew:עִם סִיּוּם, עַל בְּסִיס, ...
- Russian:после, на основе, ...
- Ukrainian:після, на основі, ...
- Hindi:जैसे ही, पर, ...
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