top cat
1
7.5
- noun
- Informal
:
el jefe
- "Here's what the top cat had to add:
- one top cat
Examples
-
and he's on to the top cat here
-
John's reputation as the top cat in the industry was well-deserved after years of hard work.
-
When you're a Jet You're the top cat in town
-
The top cat Stray Cat and Grammy-winning big bandleader leads his swinging organization back to the Basie place for a special holiday extravaganza that draws from his three albums of supercharged seasonal standards.
Blog text (21) -
In any successful organization, the top cat often makes the final decisions.
-
During the meeting, everyone turned to the top cat for guidance on the new project.
Synonyms
33
7.0
The most important person who controls a group or activity
22
6.9
An important person with power in a company or group
22
6.3
A rich, powerful person who seems greedy and has too much power
21
4.6
A person with the most power in a group
16
2.5
A person with great power or status who gets special treatment
14
3.6
An important person in a group or organization who has power
11
3.7
A company or person most important in a business field
8
5.3
A person who is very important in a group or company
7
6.7
A person who is best in a group or class
5
7.1
A person with an important job in an organization
4
9.5
A very important person in a group or organization, often the most powerful
3
8.4
A person who is the most important leader in a group or organization
2
4.4
A person or group who is top and most powerful after a competition
1
8.1
An important person who makes key decisions for a group
1
5.5
An important person in a small group who has more power than elsewhere
1
7.7
The most important person in a group or organization
1
8.6
An important person with power in a group or area
A person or thing that leads a group and shows the best example
Antonyms
How Important
Surface Forms
Morphology
Given 'top' meaning highest rank and 'cat' (here) meaning a person, the phrase literally conveys 'the top person' or leader; the meaning is directly compositional. This follows a common English pattern (compare 'top dog'), so a B1 learner who knows both constituent senses would readily infer the MWE meaning.
Etymology
Top cat comes from a simple image: imagine a group of cats where the strongest cat sits on top and controls the others. So calling someone a Top cat means 'the most important person' in a group.