top
noun · verb · adjective · adverb
Simple meaning
The highest or uppermost side of anything.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
tahpIPA pronunciation (US)
ˈtɑp
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
noun
The highest or uppermost side of anything
“Put your books on top of the desk.”
irrespective of present orientation
The part of something that is usually highest or uppermost.
The uppermost part of a page, picture, viewing screen, etc.
A lid, cap, or cover of a container.
A garment worn to cover the torso.
A framework at the top of a ship's mast to which rigging is attached.
verb
To cover on the top or with a top.
To exceed in height.
To excel, to surpass, to beat, to exceed.
To be in the lead, to be at number one position (of).
To cut or remove the top (as of a tree)
To cut, break, or otherwise take off the top of (a steel ingot) to remove unsound metal.
adjective
Situated on the top of something.
informal
Best; of the highest quality, fame or rank.
informal
Very good, of high quality, power, or rank.
adverb
Best, highest.
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- A1 · Beginner
- Frequency
- Very Common
- Typical Use
- Everyday English
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: The highest or uppermost side of anything
Used this way, top is a common word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. It usually sounds natural in a wide range of settings.
“Put your books on top of the desk.”
- Emotional tone
- Neutral
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Not strongly marked
- How common
- Common
- Connotation
- Matter-of-fact
- Usage feel
- Neutral and straightforward
Usage note
It most often appears in the pattern “top of …”, which is worth copying when you use it.
Nearby words
- whirligig , rarer, so it draws attention
Natural pattern: top of …
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
More ways to use top
- “Put your books on top of the desk.”noun
- “The mower cuts off the tops of the grass.”noun
- “He removed the top of the carton.”noun
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Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
Similar Words, What’s the Difference?
Close in meaning, but not always interchangeable.
More about this wordSynonyms, forms, origin
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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.