Arched describes something that curves upward in the middle, like a rainbow or a bridge spanning a river. When something is arched, it forms a curved shape that rises from its ends and peaks in the center.

You can see arches everywhere once you start looking. Cathedral doorways have arched tops that draw your eye upward. Cats stretch with arched backs when they wake up from naps. Basketball players take shots with arched trajectories, sending the ball up and over defenders before it drops through the hoop. Ancient Roman aqueducts used rows of stone arches to carry water across valleys, and these structures still stand today because the arched shape distributes weight so effectively.

When you raise your eyebrows high, they become arched, which is why people talk about raising an arched eyebrow to show surprise or skepticism. The shape is strong and graceful at once, which is why architects have used it for thousands of years in buildings designed to last.