top of the tree
1
5.6
- noun
- UK
- In my gaunt nakedness, I stood looking at my body in the full-length mirror—airy like fiberglass, like the Christmas angel at the top of the tree.
Examples
-
After years of hard work, she finally reached the top of the tree in her career as a top executive.
-
In the competitive world of sports, only a few athletes make it to the top of the tree and achieve global recognition.
-
Because then I'll put him at the top of the tree.
-
His eye has been caught by an ornament hanging near the top of the tree.
Fiction book (1994) -
Now, near the top of the tree, the three of them sit there, dangling their legs, looking out over the park.
Fiction book (1993) -
The man had come up into the attic in search of a last-minute star for the top of the tree.
Fiction book (2002) -
As long as you belong to the tribe, you're at the top of the tree.
Fiction book (1997) -
Where Marder refers to men's breathless aspiration towards the top of the tree, he speaks of an inability to become.
Academic text (2017) -
His commitment to excellence and innovation helped him rise to the top of the tree among his peers in the tech industry.
Synonyms
∞
2.1
The highest position in a job or field
492
1.0
A person who is better than all others in a group
64
4.5
Most important or best in a group of similar things
43
7.1
A person with an important job in an organization
34
5.8
The highest point of success or achievement
32
7.4
A very respected person in a field who is often an expert
26
4.6
A person with the most power in a group
13
5.7
The most important people in a company or the army who make big decisions
10
6.2
The highest point of success or power
6
4.4
A person or group who is top and most powerful after a competition
6
4.9
The highest level of achievement in a career or field
5
6.7
A person who is best in a group or class
5
4.6
The most important position with the highest priority
3
4.4
Being more successful than others in the same group
2
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
4.2
The highest point of someone's career or success
1
5.5
The highest job or status in a company
1
4.5
At the highest point of success or popularity for someone
1
7.9
In a position of power or importance in a group
1
8.2
A person who is among the best in a field
Antonyms
How Successful
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly derivable from 'top' (the highest level) combined with 'tree' used to represent a hierarchy, so 'top of the tree' straightforwardly maps to the highest position in a hierarchical structure. This metaphor (tree = hierarchy) is common across languages and the noun phrase composition is transparent for learners who know the constituent words.
Etymology
Top of the tree comes from the simple picture of someone standing on the highest branch of a tree: the top of the tree is above everyone and can see everything. So, being at the top of the tree means being 'at the highest level of success or influence'.