top dog
21
4.6
- noun
- /tɑp dɔg/
- Informal
:
jefe
- In our team, Tom is considered the top dog due to his leadership skills and experience.
- top dog now
- still the top dog
- become top dog
Now there's no doubt this is the top dog on SSDs at the moment.
- Now there's no doubt this is the top dog on SSDs at the moment.
- But just having the confidence and the know that you are top dog within that arena.
- I was, I was the top dog.
- So that's why I always say that Michael Keaton is is is top dog for Batman.
- And instructor Matt says, Nope, I'm the top dog.
- Who do you see kind of emerging as as that standard bearer of being the top dog?
- I was like, oh, it was like Fred and Ryan Higa were like the sort of top dogs.
- You did ninja like he was top dog and Turner like completely dethroned him, like to where it wasn't even.
- But the kind of top dogs, instead of wasting their power, the Asteri made them slaves to other archangels.
Examples
-
So you're the top dog that runs this country club.
-
As the CEO, she is the top dog in the organization, making all major decisions.
-
Now this is what being a top dog is all about.
-
It's not always about being the top dog.
-
"For the past 20+ years, America has been the top dog; but now, we are losing that strength.
Blog text (8) -
If you plan accordingly, you can be the top dog when the market changes.
Blog text (24) -
Why settle for second- or third-best when you could be top dog?
Fiction book (1991) -
Returning champion Cassius is clearly the top dog in this category.
-
The rules in this case often dictate buying expensive technology that the top-dog automaker wants its suppliers to use.
Academic text (2004) -
The new manager quickly established herself as the top dog by implementing effective changes.
Synonyms
∞
1.9
A person who leads a group or community
∞
1.0
A person in charge of a group or workers
∞
2.2
A person who is in charge of a group or organization
∞
2.1
The highest position in a job or field
∞
3.7
A person in charge of a group or place
102
4.9
A person who has higher rank or authority in a group
37
5.0
A person or animal that is the most powerful in a group
33
7.0
The most important person who controls a group or activity
26
4.3
A person who has power because of their job or position
22
6.9
An important person with power in a company or group
21
8.4
A person who has great power and controls a country or people
20
8.9
A person in charge of a team or project
9
6.3
A person who is in charge of a company or group
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
4.2
A person with more power in a company or group
3
4.6
The most important position with the highest priority
3
8.4
A person who is the most important leader in a group or organization
2
7.0
A confident person who takes charge and leads a group that others follow
2
4.4
A person or group who is top and most powerful after a competition
2
6.7
A person who is very important and powerful in a group
1
8.1
An important person who makes key decisions for a group
1
7.5
A person who is in charge of a group and makes the main decisions
1
7.7
The most important person in a group or organization
1
9.9
A person who has a high position in a church or other group
1
4.1
A person or thing that has the most power in a group
1
5.5
The highest job or status in a company
1
5.6
The highest level of success in a job or field
A person who leads a team and makes most decisions
In a position of power or importance in a group
Antonyms
How Important
Surface Forms
Morphology
top + dog
The element 'top' clearly signals highest rank, so part of the meaning (being highest in status) is compositional; however 'dog' as a literal animal does not by itself denote leadership, and the phrase relies on a metaphorical extension (like 'alpha dog') that a B1 learner may not automatically apply. Because one constituent is transparent but the other requires metaphorical/pragmatic knowledge or prior exposure, this is best judged as partially but not fully transparent.
Etymology
Top dog may come from watching dogs in a pack, where the strongest dog stands on top of the others and takes the lead. That's why it now means 'the person with the most power or status'.