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  • top
    top
    noun
    the highest or loftiest point or part of anything on a slope; apex; summit.
  • top-
    top-
    variant of topo- before a vowel.
Synonyms

top

1 American  
[top] / tɒp /

noun

  1. the highest or loftiest point or part of anything on a slope; apex; summit.

    It's two more miles to the top of the mountain.

    She’s installed a new childproof gate at the top of the stairs.
    Synonyms:
    vertex, pinnacle, peak, acme, zenith
    Antonyms:
    foot, base, bottom

  2. the uppermost or upper part, surface, etc., of anything.

    She put her sweaters in a box on the top of the wardrobe.

    The railing is wrought iron with hammered scrollwork along the top.

  3. tops,

    1. the part of a plant that grows above ground, especially of an edible root.

      They make a pesto with carrot tops rather than basil.

    2. the small twigs, branches, or shoots of plants.

      Until these logs are stripped of their tops, you’ll have a hard time selling them for firewood.

  4. the part of anything that is first or foremost; beginning.

    Let's go over it from the top again.

  5. the highest or leading place, position, rank, etc..

    This quarter she's been at the top of the class.

  6. the highest point, pitch, or degree.

    You have to talk at the top of your voice to be heard around here.

  7. a person or thing that occupies the highest or leading position.

    There's only a handful of musicians producing new work in this genre, and she's the top.

  8. the best or choicest part.

    To me, this park is the top of all creation.

  9. a covering or lid, as of a container or vehicle.

    Put the top on the pot before the sauce overthickens.

  10. any of various outer garments for the upper body, such as a blouse, shirt, or sweater.

    They're having a sale on cotton tops and shorts.

  11. the head.

  12. British. the farthest point of something relative to a person's position or line of sight.

    Their shop's at the top of the street.

  13. British. the highest available gear in an automobile; top gear.

    The car accelerates OK, but power drops off suddenly if I put it into top.

  14. Nautical. a platform surrounding the head of a lower mast on a ship, and serving as a foothold, a means of extending the upper rigging, etc.

  15. Chemistry. the part of a mixture under distillation that volatilizes first.

  16. Bridge.

    1. the best card of a suit in a player's hand.

    2. (in duplicate bridge) the best score on a hand.

  17. Sports.

    1. a stroke that hits the ball above its center.

    2. the forward spin given to the ball by such a stroke.

  18. Baseball.

    1. the first half of an inning.

    2. the first three batters in the batting order.

  19. Slang.

    1. (in the LGBTQ community) a person who prefers to take or is currently taking a penetrative or giving role in a particular sexual act, especially in anal intercourse.

    2. (especially in BDSM) a person who prefers to take or is currently taking a dominant role in a sexual relationship.

  20. Textiles.

    1. a cluster of textile fibers, especially tow, put on a distaff for spinning into yarn.

    2. a strand of the long wool fibers in sliver form, separated from the noil by combing and wound into a large ball.

    3. a similar strand of rayon or other synthetic fiber.

  21. Jewelry. crown.

  22. Informal. tops, the tops, the most outstanding person or thing in ability, favor, etc..

    As a friend, she's the tops.

    If you like small plates and excellent service, this place is tops.

adjective

  1. pertaining to, situated at, or forming the top; highest; uppermost; upper.

    The chocolate chips are on the top shelf.

  2. highest in degree; greatest.

    We pay top prices for scrap iron.

  3. foremost, chief, or principal.

    She outshone seven other competitors to win top honors in the competition.

verb (used with object)

tops, present (3rd person singular) topped, past participle, past topping present participle

  1. to furnish with an upper part or side; put a top on.

    The builders would top the pyramid with a solid granite capstone covered in gold.

  2. to be at or constitute the highest or best part of.

    The song topped the charts for three weeks straight.

  3. to reach the highest or best part of.

    This German city often tops polls of the most livable city on the planet.

  4. to rise above.

    The sun had topped the horizon.

  5. to exceed in height, amount, number, etc..

    The service just recently topped its competitors by 1,000 customers.

  6. to surpass, excel, or outdo.

    That tops everything.

  7. Theater. (in spoken dialogue) to reply in a voice of greater volume or higher pitch.

    King Henry must top the crowd noises in his St. Crispin's Day speech.

  8. to surmount with something specified.

    to top a sundae with whipped cream.

  9. to remove the top of; crop; prune.

    Always consult a certified arborist before topping a tree.
    Synonyms:
    shear, lop

  10. to get or leap over the top of (a fence, barrier, etc.).

    She topped the stone wall in her rush to get to the mare giving birth.

  11. Chemistry. to distill off only the most volatile part of (a mixture).

  12. Sports.

    1. to strike (the ball) above its center, giving it a forward spin.

    2. to make (a stroke) by hitting the ball in this manner.

  13. top-dress.

  14. Slang.

    1. (in the LGBTQ community) to do a particular sexual act to (a partner), especially anal intercourse.

    2. (especially in BDSM) to dominate (a sexual partner).

  15. Obsolete. to have sexual intercourse with (a woman).

verb (used without object)

tops, present (3rd person singular) topped, past participle, past topping present participle

  1. Slang.

    1. (in the LGBTQ community) to take a penetrative or giving role in a particular sexual act, especially in anal intercourse.

    2. (especially in BDSM) to take a dominant role in a sexual relationship or encounter.

verb phrase

  1. top out

    1. to finish the top of (a structure).

    2. to reach the highest level.

  2. top off

    1. to climax or complete, especially in an exceptional manner; finish.

      They topped off the evening with a ferryboat ride at midnight.

    2. to fill (a partly full container) completely.

      to top off a gas tank.

idioms

  1. blow one's top,

    1. to become enraged; lose one's temper.

      She blows her top at the slightest criticism.

    2. to go mad; become insane.

      He must have blown his top to make such a fool of himself.

  2. over the top,

    1. Military. over the top of the parapet before a trench, as in issuing to charge against the enemy.

    2. surpassing a goal, quota, or limit.

    3. beyond normal limits; outrageously extreme or excessive.

      His humor is so over the top that it’s embarrassing.

  3. on top of the world,

    1. successful.

    2. elated.

      The success made her feel on top of the world.

  4. on top, successful; victorious; dominant.

    Our team stayed on top throughout the game.

    After a rough few years, it’s good to see him back on top again.

  5. off the top of one's head, head.

  6. top oneself, to kill oneself.

  7. on top of,

    1. over or upon.

      Just put that box of tissues on top of the fridge.

    2. in addition to; over and above.

      There will be sales tax on top of that price, of course.

    3. close upon; following upon.

      Gale winds came on top of the floods.

    4. in complete control.

      on top of the problem.
top 2 American  
[top] / tɒp /

noun

  1. a toy, often inversely conical, with a point on which it is made to spin.

idioms

  1. sleep like a top, to sleep soundly.

    After a day of hiking and swimming we slept like tops.
top- 3 American  

  1. variant of topo- before a vowel.

    toponym.
top 1 British  
/ tɒp /

noun

  1. the highest or uppermost part of anything

    the top of a hill

  2. the most important or successful position

    to be at the top of the class

    the top of the table

  3. the part of a plant that is above ground

    carrot tops

  4. a thing that forms or covers the uppermost part of anything, esp a lid or cap

    put the top on the saucepan

  5. the highest degree or point

    at the top of his career

  6. the most important person

    he's the top of this organization

  7. the best or finest part of anything

    we've got the top of this year's graduates

  8. the loudest or highest pitch (esp in the phrase top of one's voice )

  9. the beginning

    the top of the hour

    at the top of the programme

  10. short for top gear

  11. cards the highest card of a suit in a player's hand

  12. sport

    1. a stroke that hits the ball above its centre

    2. short for topspin

  13. a platform around the head of a lower mast of a sailing vessel, the edges of which serve to extend the topmast shrouds

  14. chem the part of a volatile liquid mixture that distils first

  15. a garment, esp for a woman, that extends from the shoulders to the waist or hips

    1. the high-frequency content of an audio signal

    2. ( as modifier )

      this amplifier has a good top response

  17. informal to lose one's temper

    1. in addition to

      on top of his accident, he caught pneumonia

    2. informal in complete control of (a difficult situation, job, etc)

  19. with no previous preparation; extempore

    1. over the parapet or leading edge of a trench

    2. over the limit; excessive(ly); lacking restraint or a sense of proportion

  21. a morning greeting regarded as characteristic of Irishmen

"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

adjective

  1. of, relating to, serving as, or situated on the top

    the top book in a pile

  2. informal excellent

    a top night out
"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

verb

  1. to form a top on (something)

    to top a cake with whipped cream

  2. to remove the top of or from

    to top carrots

  3. to reach or pass the top of

    we topped the mountain

  4. to be at the top of

    he tops the team

  5. to exceed or surpass

  6. slang to kill

  7. (also intr) sport

    1. to hit (a ball) above the centre

    2. to make (a stroke) by hitting the ball in this way

  8. chem to distil off (the most volatile part) from a liquid mixture

  9. to add other colorants to (a dye) in order to modify the shade produced

    1. to trim off the ends of (fruit or vegetables) before cooking them

    2. to wash a baby's face and bottom without immersion in a bath

"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 2 British  
/ tɒp /

noun

  1. a toy that is spun on its pointed base by a flick of the fingers, by pushing a handle at the top up and down, etc

  2. anything that spins or whirls around

  3. to sleep very soundly

"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- 3 British  

combining form

  1. a variant of topo-

"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 More Idioms  

    More idioms and phrases containing top

Usage

What does top- mean? Top- is a combining form used like a prefix meaning “place” or "local." It is often used in scientific and other technical terms. Top- comes from the Greek tópos, meaning “place” or “commonplace.” Commonplace? Yep, discover why at our entry here. Top- is a variant of topo-, which loses its -o- when combined with words or word elements beginning with vowels. Want to know more? Read our Words That Use topo- article.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Inflected Forms

Participles

Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

Future

Etymology

Origin of top1

First recorded before 1000; Middle English top, top(p)e, Old English topp, toppa “top, summit, tuft of hair”; cognate with Dutch top, German Zopf, Old Norse toppr “top”

Origin of top2

First recorded before 1100; Middle English top, toppe, Old English top; cognate with Frisian, dialectal Dutch top

Explanation

The highest or uppermost part of something is its top, like the top rung of a ladder or the top bunk of a bunkbed. A top is also a lid, like the top of a soda bottle, an upper rank, like the top position at a law firm, and a child's spinning toy. If you yell at the top of your voice, you use the loudest possible volume. As a verb, top can mean "to beat in a competition," like when you top all of the other contestants in the spelling bee, or "to provide with a topping," like when you top your pie with whipped cream. Your band director might command, "From the top!" meaning "Play it again, from the beginning!"

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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:

For a long time, Wall Street economists and the Federal Reserve believed the top sustainable growth rate of the U.S. economy was around 1.8%.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 27, 2026

The company said Dior saw an “excellent start” for the first designs of Jonathan Anderson, who now holds the top creative job at the fashion house.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 27, 2026

At the top of his powers, Scheffler, 30, is a front-running machine.

From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026

The Dodgers have shown a willingness in the past to give up top prospects for starting pitching when they see a need.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 27, 2026

She rummages through the top drawer of her desk.

From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam

Of course, top- and bottom-line gains do not always translate into higher share prices.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 13, 2026

The market is forecast to improve as the year progresses, resulting in top- and bottom-line results largely in line with current Wall Street estimates, the company said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 25, 2026

An unusually large share of companies are reporting better-than-expected top- and bottom-line results, while also sharing upbeat outlooks.

From Barron's ● Oct. 28, 2025

Clemson moved up four spots to re-enter the top- 0 at No. 8 and Utah climbed to No .10.

From Seattle Times ● Nov. 13, 2022

He began scooping up crackers and Ping-Pong balls and spraying them with top- ping.

From "The Titan's Curse" by Rick Riordan

The San Francisco-based startup, a chief rival to OpenAI, said the model tops industry benchmarks for coding and knowledge work while consuming fewer computing resources than earlier versions.

From Barron's ● Jul. 24, 2026

Glazed-earthenware cylinders with rounded tops support hefty forms on their sides that seem to be invisibly cantilevered from the central mass.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026

With the house paid off in full, White said he currently pays about $600 a month in rent — in a county where the median monthly housing cost tops $2,000.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 17, 2026

Churlish or not, Argentina tops have not been an uncommon site in Scotland - or indeed Boston - this summer, a nod to England's intense rivalry with the South Americans.

From BBC ● Jul. 14, 2026

The tops of the chalkboards were lined with big paper witches, ghosts and skeletons.

From "The World According to Humphrey" by Betty G. Birney

If its sales hold up, it would become Charli's fourth UK number one overall, and her second this year, after the soundtrack to Wuthering Heights topped the chart in February.

From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026

Hetty Lui McKinnon’s recipe calls for a head of iceberg lettuce, stir-fried, then topped with crispy garlic and a fried egg and served over a warm bowl of rice.

From Salon ● Jul. 25, 2026

Quarterly earnings of 75 cents a share topped the 64 cents a share that analysts polled by FactSet expected.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026

The last time the 30-year mortgage rate topped 7% was in January 2025, according to Freddie Mac data.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 23, 2026

"Look. My rice is topped with a dead fly."

From "Born Behind Bars" by Padma Venkatraman

He won stage 18 and Saturday's stage 20 after topping the race's highest point first and after 5,450km of climbing.

From BBC ● Jul. 26, 2026

President Woodrow Wilson was re-elected the year that pipe was laid, and the Germans attacked the French in the World War I Battle of Verdun, with the death toll topping 700,000.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 25, 2026

Three firefighters have been killed as southern Europe endures more severe heat, with temperatures topping 40C in some areas.

From Barron's ● Jul. 24, 2026

Among the 15 companies topping the screen, nine have market caps below $20 billion and eight have market caps below $10 billion.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 23, 2026

An enormous wave crests high on the hill, topping the trees and roaring down the slope.

From "Catching Fire" by Suzanne Collins

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

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

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