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• top hat
  top hat

  noun

  a tall, cylindrical hat with a stiff brim usually slightly curved on the sides, worn by men especially on formal occasions.
• top-hat
  top-hat

  adjective

  of or relating to polite or fashionable society.

top hat

¹ American  

noun

top hats plural

1. a tall, cylindrical hat with a stiff brim usually slightly curved on the sides, worn by men especially on formal occasions.

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top-hat ² American  

[top-hat] / ˈtɒpˈhæt /

adjective

1. of or relating to polite or fashionable society.

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top hat British  

noun

1. Also called: high hat.  a man's hat with a tall cylindrical crown and narrow brim, often made of silk, now worn for some formal occasions

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• top hats
  plural

Etymology

Origin of top hat¹

First recorded in 1800–10

Origin of top-hat²

First recorded in 1890–95; adj. use of top hat

Example Sentences

It’s all just bravado and illusion in a show where the magician has no bunnies left to pull from his top hat.

From Salon • May 28, 2026

A few clicks on Google will find decades of stories raising doubts about his suitability, often accompanied by pictures of Andrew in a top hat, like a renegade Monopoly piece.

From BBC • Oct. 30, 2025

A commercial artist added the top hat, monocle and cane.

From The Wall Street Journal • Sep. 26, 2025

Wearing the Wizard’s green top hat and suit and with his microphone dropping out inauspiciously, Dolan never introduced himself, but he did compliment the other creators of the event, who also wore costumes.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 3, 2025

Then Lily pulls out a complicated game involving a frog that eats worms, burps bubbles, and—for reasons I cannot comprehend—wears a top hat.

From "South of Somewhere" by Kalena Miller