Synonyms

top drawer

American

noun

the highest level in rank, excellence, or importance.

a musician strictly out of the top drawer.

top drawer British

noun

people of the highest standing, esp socially (esp in the phrase out of the top drawer )

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

top drawer Idioms

Of the highest quality, importance, or rank, as in The musicians in this pick-up orchestra were top drawer. It probably alludes to the uppermost drawer in a bureau or chest, where the most valuable objects (such as jewelry) are usually kept. [c. 1900]

Other Word Forms

top-drawer

adjective

Etymology

Origin of top drawer

First recorded in 1900–05

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

top drawer

Keep your rental paperwork in your top drawer.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 21, 2026

Bearman is one of those guys that has looked top drawer for quite a while.

From BBC ● Mar. 7, 2024

The night before, Ms. Reardon said, “I sat in bed and wrote a list of attributes my ‘dream guy’ would have and tucked it away in my top drawer.

From New York Times ● Nov. 19, 2021

The writing is top drawer, and the text is experimental to profitable effect, which I’m afraid is rather rare.

From The Guardian ● Jun. 5, 2020

She opened the top drawer of her desk.

From "Because of Winn-Dixie" by Kate DiCamillo

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023