- present tense form of top (3rd person singular).
tops
Americanadjective
adverb
noun
noun
adjective
Etymology
Origin of tops
First recorded in 1930–35; plural of top 1
Explanation
Are you the very best chess player in your state? Then you're the tops. Something or someone that's tops is outstanding or of the highest quality. You can use the informal tops to describe things or people that are unmatched or topmost, like your amazing high school, considered to be tops among all public schools in the country. It can also mean something closer to "awesome," as when you say, "Did you taste that new flavor of potato chip? It's tops!" Tops first appeared in 1935 as American slang.
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 "Duchess and the Gentlemen" tops the Daily Mirror as the paper announces that the Duchess of Sussex is "in Guy Ritchie talks".
From BBC ● Aug. 22, 2026
But on average, across all bull-market tops, rates were only modestly higher on the day of the top than in prior weeks and months.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 20, 2026
The Defense Department’s budget tops $1 trillion, the largest sum ever, even allowing for inflation.
From Slate ● Aug. 19, 2026
The statutory tax on long-term capital gains tops out at 23.8%, including the ObamaCare surcharge.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 16, 2026
“Poppy petals,” Clare said, having named them for their wavy crimson tops.
From "The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest" by Aubrey Hartman
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.
