Meaning & use
onward and upwards
Last updated
Meaning
phrasefixed phrase
Used to say that progress is continuing and things are getting better, especially after a difficulty.
Grammar: Stands alone as a comment or encouragement; no subject or object follows.
Patterns
- onward and upwards
- onwards and upwards
The project had a slow start, but since then it has been onward and upwards.
She lost her job in March, but now she has a better one — onward and upwards.
After the exam results, the teacher smiled and said, 'Onward and upwards!'
Common combinations
- be onward and upwards
- Since the new manager arrived, the company has been onward and upwards.
- go onward and upwards
- After the first year, sales went onward and upwards.
- keep going onward and upwards
- Keep going onward and upwards, no matter what happens.
Synonyms and how they differ
- on the up
- Informal and describes a situation that is improving, but it is not used as a standalone encouragement.
- looking up
- Suggests that things are starting to improve; it is less fixed and can be used in many sentence positions.
Opposites
Practice
Which sentence uses the phrase correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Has been onward and upwards' correctly shows a continuing state from the past to now. 'Is onward and upwards' (A) is wrong because the phrase usually describes a process, not a simple present state. C has no verb, and D uses 'going' in a way that is less natural with this fixed phrase.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “onward and upwards”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.