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top of mind

top of mind

3 4.7
The thing someone thinks about most right now
  • idiom
translation icon : prioridad
  • Online safety is top of mind for everyone these days.
  • always top of mind
  • top of mind for voters
  • top of mind for many

Stand out, stay on top of mind and see big results fast.

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Examples

  • In a day and age where bottom lines and budgets are top of mind, sometimes a company's greatest asset gets overlooked -- its people.

    Blog text (14)
  • Medical issues are also top of mind for Alicia Erlich, a Franklin Square executive assistant whose 61-year-old mother has juvenile diabetes.

    Blog text (26)
  • It's a great way to stay top of mind with them, and they will remember the favor.

    Blog text (17)
  • Keep the safety and privacy concerns specific to health IT top of mind.

    Blog text (20)
  • Lately, it seems that fraud is top of mind in all sorts of areas where banks are concerned.

    Blog text (20)
  • ESG is top of mind and I think we're answering those questions.

  • Google Alerts is a very simple and easy way to keep your prospects top of mind.

    Blog text (8)
  • This week, Superstorm Sandy will be top of mind for a great many of us.

    Blog text (30)
  • The environment should be top of mind for lawmakers when creating new policies.

  • During the meeting, the schedule changes were top of mind for everyone present.

Synonyms

on my mind
vstop of mind
275 3.4

You keep thinking about something and cannot stop

is about being the top priority in general thought, not personal preoccupation
front and center
vstop of mind
  • Informal
51 4.3

In a place where people notice it first

is about being first in someone's thoughts rather than visible prominence
front of mind
vstop of mind
1 6.3

An idea you think about before others

is about being the first or most important priority in thought
at the front of mind
vstop of mind
6.5

The main thing you are thinking about now

is broader, referring to the first or most important priority generally
on one's mind
vstop of mind
3.5

Thinking about something a lot and feeling worried

is the leading item in priorities rather than ongoing private worry

Antonyms

30 5.1

A thought or thing that you add later to something already decided

How Important

top of mind
3 4.7
important
1.0
relevant
592 3.3
minor
600 2.4
irrelevant
355 3.6

Surface Forms

top of mind positive

Morphology

top + of + mind

The meaning 'considered first or most important in someone's thoughts' is directly derivable from combining 'top' (highest) with 'mind' (thoughts) with 'of' as a linking preposition; it reads as the thing at the highest position in one's mind. This spatial-to-mental composition is common across languages and follows a straightforward metaphorical mapping, so a B1 learner who knows the constituent words will likely understand it.

Etymology

Top of mind comes from a simple picture: your thoughts are like a stack and the thing on the top of your mind is the first you see. So when something is top of mind, it means it is the 'first' or 'most important' thing you are thinking about.