Upstairs means on or toward a higher floor of a building. When you walk upstairs, you're climbing steps to reach the rooms above you. Most houses have bedrooms upstairs, while the kitchen and living room are downstairs on the main floor.

You can use the word as a direction: “Go upstairs and get your jacket.” You can also use it to describe where something is located: “My bedroom is upstairs” or “The upstairs bathroom needs cleaning.” Sometimes people refer to the entire upper level as the upstairs, as in “The upstairs is quieter than the downstairs.”

In apartment buildings, your upstairs neighbors live in the apartment directly above yours. You might hear them walking around, especially if they have a dog or young children. If you live on the top floor, you don't have any upstairs neighbors.

The word can also describe location in other tall structures. On a double-decker bus, passengers sit both downstairs and upstairs. The upstairs seats usually offer better views of the city.