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top

top

1.0
Located at the highest position
  • adjective
  • /tɑp/
translation icon : superior
  • You have to be on top of your game and, and tell a great story.
  • top priority
  • top five
  • top journals

Examples

  • Look, ma'am, I just sold my painting business so I can afford a top lawyer like you.

  • We're talking about going to the top wine-producing country in the world.

  • So now we can do the top part of it.

  • But your control from the top is extraordinary.

  • Worked at all the top restaurants.

  • Top tier, top of their class, and top notch.

  • The average salary for a football coach at a top 120 school is $1.36 million.

    Academic text (2011)
  • Today, Harbour ranks GM among the top third of global vehicle manufacturers.

    Academic text (2011)
  • As a small and struggling department, we had difficulty hiring and retaining top-tier faculty members.

    Academic text (2011)
  • The team was praised for its top performance in the championship game.

Synonyms

supreme
vstop
737 3.9

Highest in rank, quality, or importance

focuses on highest position or place rather than quality
upper
vstop
495 1.0

Above something else, near the top

is broader, meaning highest position or rank not only above
premier
vstop
61 4.5

Most important or best in a group of similar things

centres on highest position or place, not just excellence
high
vstop
52 1.0

Far above the ground

emphasizes highest position or rank rather than altitude
high-ranking
vstop
46 4.2

A person who has an important senior job in an organization

refers more broadly to highest status or place beyond roles
top shelf
vstop
23 4.4

The highest shelf in a storage space or a thing of the highest quality

means highest in place or rank rather than just quality or shelf
uppermost
vstop
8 4.7

At the very top

is the broad term for highest rank or location
6 3.9

A product that is the best and most expensive in a range

focuses on highest position or place rather than product quality
topmost
vstop
4 3.2

At the highest part of something that is above all other parts

is the general word for highest position or rank
upmost
vstop
1 4.4

Nearest to the top of something

is used for the general idea of highest position

Antonyms

619 1.0

At the lowest or deepest level

5 1.0

At the bottom in rank or importance in a group

Idioms

29 2.8

Feeling very happy and successful

21 3.2

To do something completely by checking every part

17 4.4

Use all your voice to shout or sing very loudly

3 4.7

The thing someone thinks about most right now

3 4.6

The most important position with the highest priority

2 4.1

As loudly as possible so people can hear

To get a high job or power by being dishonest

To reach the top by fighting and pushing through many problems

8.0

To suddenly become very angry

Aware of the latest popular styles and ideas in a field

9.9

The highest and hardest job to get in politics or business

Compounds

70 3.5

The most important thing to deal with first

top-secret
  • Formal
65 5.9

Information that only a very small number of people are allowed to know

61 5.2

Very extreme or exaggerated in a way that seems unreasonable

top secret
  • Formal
55 4.2

Information that the government keeps private for security reasons

top notch
  • Informal
38 3.6

Of the highest quality and better than most similar things

28 1.3

A tight shirt without sleeves that has wide shoulder straps

The exact time when a new hour begins, for example 3:00

23 4.4

The highest shelf in a storage space or a thing of the highest quality

top dog
  • Informal
21 4.6

A person with the most power in a group

20 5.1

The highest price people pay for something because it is rare or very valuable

20 3.7

How fast a vehicle or person can move

17 4.3

A tall hat with a flat top and straight sides worn with formal clothes

15 6.8

Very high quality or the upper drawer in a piece of furniture

top brass
  • Informal
11 5.7

The most important people in a company or the army who make big decisions

9 3.8

Very high quality and lasts a long time

9 6.2

Of very high quality and among the best in its field

7 6.2

The most important name that appears first in ads or credits

A product that is the best and most expensive in a range

5 3.5

A large tent used for circus shows

5 3.3

A shoe with a top that reaches above the ankle for extra support

A product that has very high quality and is often the most expensive option

over-the-top
  • Specialized
3 5.7

Delivered over the internet directly to users instead of through cable services

3 3.7

Of the highest quality, better than others like it

What you see from a high place or from a position of power

2 3.7

Shoes with tops that reach above the ankle for extra support

top cat
  • Informal
1 7.5

A person who is in charge of a group and makes the main decisions

1 7.4

A car with a roof that you can fold down or remove

muffin top
  • Informal
1 7.5

A layer of fat that spills over a tight waistband of trousers or a skirt

top banana
  • Archaic
1 7.7

The most important person in a group or organization

1 4.2

Having a level top surface

top-up
  • UK
1 3.2

An extra amount you add to bring something back to the desired level

top boot
  • Archaic
1 7.7

A tall leather shoe that reaches halfway to the knee and is worn for riding or historical dress

top gear
  • Informal
1 3.8

A time when someone works at their highest speed or energy

1 2.2

The upper surface of a thing, like paper or cake

top-notcher
  • Philippine
1 8.2

A person who is among the best in a field

The highest job or status in a company

1 5.1

The first half of an inning when the visiting team bats

1 5.6

The highest level of success in a job or field

1 5.1

A lean piece of beef from the upper back leg used for roasting or thin slicing

1 5.5

An item in a collection that people value most

top quark
  • Specialized
1 9.5

A very heavy tiny particle studied by physicists

1 1.3

A small toy that turns quickly on a sharp point

calash top
  • Archaic
9.9

A folding hood on a carriage pulled by horses that protects passengers from rain and wind

celery top pine
  • Australian
9.9

A tall evergreen tree from Tasmania with strong, fine wood that people use for boats and building

carrot top
  • Informal
7.7

A person with bright red or orange hair

A spinning toy that makes a soft buzzing sound when it moves

rattle-top
  • Specialized
9.9

A tall North American plant with long white flowers that keeps insects away

8.1

A large tent that holds people for a circus show

7.2

Loud exaggerated actions meant to get attention or make people laugh

peg top
  • UK
7.6

A wooden toy shaped like a pear with a metal point you spin with a string

tilt-top table
  • Archaic
7.0

A small table with a top that can be turned up to stand upright to save space

9.0

A small table with a top that folds up to stand upright for storage

top-up
  • UK
3.5

A prepaid code or card you use to add credit to a phone

top fermenting yeast
  • Specialized
5.8

A yeast that rises to the top when beer is made and is used to brew ales

top lift
  • Specialized
8.9

The bottom part of a shoe heel that often wears away and needs replacing

top dressing
  • Specialized
5.4

A thin layer of compost or fertilizer spread on top of soil to help plants grow without mixing it in

The most expensive area of a town where rich people live

top fermentation
  • Specialized
5.8

A way of making beer where yeast rises to the top at warm temperatures for ales

top onion
  • Specialized
9.0

A plant that makes small bulbs at the top instead of flowers and gives young shoots for salads

A list of ingredients and steps that people keep secret to make a food unique

top-gallant yard
  • Specialized
9.9

A long horizontal pole high on a sailing ship that holds the topgallant sail

8.8

A top that shows the lower part of the breasts

9.1

A toy that spins when you hit it with a string

whipping top
  • Archaic
8.0

A toy top you make spin by hitting it with a short cord

A kitchen counter with a wooden top for preparing and eating food

How High

supreme
737 3.9
top
1.0
high
1.0
average
1.0
low
1.0

Surface Forms

top positive

Etymology

Top as an adjective comes from the same root meaning 'highest', so when you say the top row you mean the highest row. The origin explains why top describes the highest place.