upmarket

upmarket — adjective

1. describing goods, services, or places that are of a high standard and cost more

1.adjectiveB2
Definition

describing goods, services, or places that are of a high standard and cost more than average, usually aimed at people with enough money to spend on quality.

Example

The Wei family bought a flat in an upmarket area of London near the park.

collocation: upmarket + area/neighbourhood

Élise prefers upmarket skincare products even though they cost twice as much.

upmarket + product category

Common collocations
  • upmarket area
  • upmarket brand
  • upmarket restaurant
  • upmarket product
Synonyms
  • upscale

    Standard American English equivalent; otherwise interchangeable.

  • high-end

    Focuses on superior quality or advanced features rather than price alone.

  • luxury

    Stronger emphasis on exclusivity, comfort, and indulgence.

Antonyms
  • downmarket

    The direct opposite, suggesting lower quality and lower price.

  • budget

    Designed to be affordable, often with fewer features or lower quality.

Grammar Patterns

upmarket + noun

Usage Note

Common in British English; American English usually uses 'upscale' instead. Typically appears before a noun (attributive position), though predicative use ('That restaurant is very upmarket') is also heard.

Common Mistakes

The company wants to upmarket its brand.
The company wants to move its brand upmarket.
'Upmarket' is an adjective or adverb, not a verb.
This bottle of water is very upmarket.
This bottle of water is very expensive.
'Upmarket' describes brands, areas, or products with a certain image and target audience, not any costly item.

upmarket — adverb

Word family

  • market
    nounA1
  • marketing
    nounA2
  • downmarket
    adjectiveC1
  • downmarket
    adverbC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

All four describe goods or services of superior quality and price, but they differ in emphasis and region. 'Upmarket' is primarily British; in American English 'upscale' is the standard equivalent. 'High-end' focuses on the top tier of a product category in terms of features, performance, or materials — a high-end laptop has the fastest processor, while an upmarket hotel simply costs more. 'Luxury' goes beyond price to suggest indulgence, rarity, and prestige: a luxury handbag is made from rare materials and carries a status signal, whereas an upmarket handbag is simply expensive and well-made. In everyday use, 'upmarket' often describes a place or an entire brand image, while 'high-end' is more likely to describe a specific product within a brand's range.

upmarket ↗upscalehigh-endluxury ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • go upmarket
  • move upmarket
  • shift upmarket
  • a move upmarket

Prepositions

Etymology

English

The word was formed by combining the adverb 'up' (suggesting a higher level or status) with 'market' (the arena of buying and selling). It first appeared in British English in the early 1970s, following the existing pattern of 'downmarket' (coined earlier). The compound structure mirrors other directional-market words such as 'upstream' and 'downtown'.