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up-country

up-country

1 6.7
Towards the inland parts of a country away from the coast or big cities
  • adverb
translation icon : hacia el interior
  • Shirl moves 'em further up country away from border patrol.

He said, well, we were way up in up country, Thailand.

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Examples

  • "We'll meet you up-country before the battle, if you can be a little more specific." "Caerleon in the west, then, where the Roman legion encampment was."

    Fiction book (1991)
  • When the traveling circus leaves Cape Town the next day, taking the movie with it, Vickery becomes a deserter, and there are rumors that he has journeyed "up country" to find the circus and see Mrs. Bathurst one more time before he too disappears altogether.

    Academic text (1993)
  • We'll meet them up-country, somewhere.

    Fiction book (1991)
  • He said, well, we were way up in up country, Thailand.

  • During the summer vacation, we decided to travel up-country to explore the beautiful mountains.

  • They often go up-country to escape the heat of the city and enjoy the peaceful countryside.

  • After living in the city for years, she felt a strong desire to move up-country for a simpler life.

Synonyms

inland
vsup-country
49 2.7

Toward the middle of a country away from the coast

adds that this also means away from urban areas
in the countryside
vsup-country
26 1.0

In an area away from towns and cities with farms and small villages

covers interior location including nonrural areas
upcountry
vsup-country
  • UK
7.1

Toward the inland part of a country away from the coast and main cities

is identical in meaning but uses a hyphenated form
landwards
vsup-country
  • UK
6.8

Toward the land and away from the sea

is focused on interior areas rather than only direction from sea
upbound
vsup-country
8.5

Moving toward inland areas, for example upriver

refers to being located in interior areas rather than vehicle movement
backcountry
vsup-country
  • US
5.4

In wild areas far from towns and roads

means interior without implying remoteness or underdevelopment

Antonyms

571 2.5

About a city or town rather than the countryside

129 2.4

Near the sea or ocean

Surface Forms

up-country positive
upcountry positive

Morphology

up-country = country (transparent) = up + country

The meaning 'towards the interior/away from the coast' is directly derived from 'up' + 'country' and is readily inferable by learners who know both components. [Postprocessing: moved 'up' from base_words to prefix]

Etymology

Up-country comes from the simple parts up (meaning 'higher' or 'inland') and country (meaning 'land outside towns'). So, if you go 'up-country' you travel away from the coast or city into the interior of a country.