topnotch
Americanadjective
Usage
What does topnotch mean? Topnotch describes someone or something that is first-rate or the best, as in I had the best meal of my life at that topnotch restaurant!Topnotch describes someone or something as being above all others in its category in terms of a certain quality. For example, a topnotch hotel would be the fanciest, most luxurious hotel. An athlete who performs better than everyone else in their league could be called a topnotch athlete, while a car that can drive faster than its competitors could be called a topnotch vehicle. Topnotch can also be spelled top-notch. Example: If you want to go to a topnotch college, you’re going to pay a lot of money for tuition.
Etymology
Origin of topnotch
Explanation
Something topnotch is excellent—it's the highest quality. If you're used to camping, it'll be luxurious to stay in a topnotch hotel. When you're recommending a movie as one of the best you've seen this year, you might describe it as topnotch. If you're lucky your school's brand new gymnasium will be topnotch, so that your topnotch volleyball team has a great space to practice. The origin of this informal adjective is uncertain, but some experts believe it comes from a 19th-century game.
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.
The topnotch production, directed by Jack O’Brien, is also the most charming.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 11, 2023
“I wasn’t looking to race again, but Justin came to my home in Switzerland and convinced me how serious he was about putting together a topnotch program,” Raikkonen said in a news release Thursday.
From Seattle Times • May 26, 2022
But the passing game is 30th as Dak Prescott struggles without a topnotch receiver.
From Washington Times • Oct. 11, 2018
“But a diamond that comes out of the earth, is fashioned by a diamond cutter and set by a topnotch jeweler is still the number one prize.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 2, 2016
In fact, the only requirement for fishing those lakes was a fast unhooking technique and a pitching arm in topnotch shape for throwing the trout back in the water.
From "The Milagro Beanfield War" by John Nichols
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.
