Upreach

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To lift or raise something in an upward direction
2. To elevate or move something higher by lifting
3. To hold or carry something up, raising it above its previous position

Etymology: "Upreach" is a plain compound: the prefix "up-" joined to the verb "reach." Its Middle English form, "uprechen," was built the same way, pairing the upward sense of "up" with the older English sense of "reach" as stretching out or extending something, so the verb literally means to reach or stretch upward. The sense of "reach" behind it is the physical one, to extend a limb or object toward something, and "upreach" applies that gesture to lifting. The pattern is shared with other English verbs formed with "up-," such as "uphold" and "uplift," which show how readily the prefix attached to motion verbs in older English.

Synonyms: reach up, stretch

Antonyms: downreach