Read a sequence of swings
A swing high is a local peak and a swing low is a local trough. When successive peaks and troughs are higher, the sequence is commonly described as an uptrend. When both are lower, it is commonly described as a downtrend. Prices can also move sideways, with swings that revisit a similar range without a sustained direction. A sideways stretch can contain sizeable moves within that range.
The diagram connects a sequence of hypothetical swings. The second trough is higher than the first, even though prices fell between the preceding peak and that trough. That distinction helps separate the direction of a single leg from the direction of the broader sequence.
State the interval you mean
The same market can look different at different scales. A short chart window can show a series of rising swings inside a longer decline. State the interval and the span you are describing. It also helps to say how you selected the peaks and troughs, since small fluctuations can look like separate swings at one scale and disappear at another.
Common misunderstanding
A single rising candle does not establish an uptrend. The label describes a sequence, and mixed evidence is possible. For example, a higher peak alongside a lower trough does not fit the simple rising-swing description. You can report those observations without forcing a directional label. Even a clear sequence only describes the prices already observed. Future prices can extend the sequence, interrupt it, or move back into the prior range.