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Glite Dictionary
to upcycle

to upcycle

1 6.7
Change old things people would throw away into new, more useful things
  • verb
  • /ˈʌpˌsaɪkl/
translation icon : dar una segunda vida a
  • She decided to upcycle her vintage t-shirts into reusable shopping bags.

Does a lot of people asking if it's unethical to like, upcycle clothes from thrift shops.

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Examples

  • Instead of throwing it away, he chose to upcycle the old bike into a garden planter.

  • Just come into here and we're going to learn how to upcycle the honest bottles and have a little go ourselves.

  • You know, instead of making new things, let's look at what we already have and try and upcycle and reinterpret and change that.

  • I was watching this really cool TikTok of this woman who had taken her mother's wedding dress and was basically upcycling it for her own wedding.

    Zoe Hong

  • CANLOVE, a collective of graffiti artists, is on a mission to collect and upcycle as many spray cans as possible into art.

    Blog text (9)

  • Every product, every TerraCycle product, when you're done with it and it's at the end of its life, if you will, can be sent back to TerraCycle, and then we'll upcycle it again.

    Blog text (16)

  • Use a travel mug instead of paper cups when possible, walk or take the bus instead of driving, buy local products when you can, shop at thrift stores, upcycle—there are so many little things that can be done to help.

    Blog text (9)

  • At the workshop, we learned how to upcycle old furniture into stylish new pieces.

Synonyms

upgrade
vsto upcycle
141 3.5

A newer, better version of a product, often software

involves improving quality but not necessarily using discarded goods
to repurpose
vsto upcycle
19 4.2

To use something for a new purpose instead of its original one

adds value or quality rather than only changing its purpose
to make over
vsto upcycle
10 5.1

Change something old so it can be used in a new way

raises an item's worth and often changes its original use
to reutilize
vsto upcycle
  • US
5.1

To use something again after fixing it or for a new purpose

focuses on creating higher value from discarded items rather than just using them again

Antonyms

to discard
130 2.7

To throw something away because you no longer want or need it

How Valuable

to upcycle
1 6.7
to transform
523 3.4
to refurbish
31 4.6
to repurpose
19 4.2
to reuse
44 2.3

Surface Forms

upcycle infinitive
upcycled past
upcycled past participle
upcycling present participle
upcycles third person singular

Morphology

upcycle = cycle (semi-transparent) = up + cycle

The prefix 'up-' suggests improvement or enhancement, but the specific meaning of transforming discarded items into higher value products is not immediately obvious.

Etymology

The word upcycle comes from up, meaning 'higher' or 'better', and cycle, as in recycle which means 'use again'. So to upcycle is to take something old and turn it into a new item of higher value or quality.