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English (UK)
Cambridge Dictionary Online

Meaning of top in English

top
noun
uk
/tɒp/ us
/tɑːp/

top noun (HIGHEST PART)

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A2 [ C ]
the highest place or part:
at the top of She waited for me at the top of the stairs.
on the top of There were flags on the tops of many of the buildings.
on top of There was a pile of books on top of (= on) the table.
Synonyms
apex (SUCCESS) figurative
peak (HIGHEST POINT)
pinnacle
summit (HIGHEST POINT)
the summit
vertex specialized
zenith (MOST SUCCESSFUL POINT)
Opposite
bottom (FARTHEST PART)
See also
clifftop
hilltop
mountaintop
rooftop noun
the treetops
[ C ]
the flat upper surface of something:
The top of the table/desk was badly scratched.
More examplesFewer examples
SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases
Edges & extremities of objects
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You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:

top noun (IN BASEBALL)

[ C usually singular ]
in baseball, the first part of an inning (= period of play), when the visiting team has its turn to try to hit the ball and score:
He left the game in the top of the fifth inning.
Miami scored twice in the top of the second.
Compare
bottom
SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases
Baseball & rounders
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top noun (CLOTHES)

B1 [ C ]
any piece of light clothing worn on the part of the body above the waist:
a skimpy top
a pyjama top
I need a top to go with these trousers.
More examplesFewer examples
SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases
Jumpers, shirts & tee-shirts
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top noun (LID)

C1 [ C ]
the cover or lid used to close a container or pen:
a screw-on top
a bottle top
a pen top
More examplesFewer examples
SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases
Lids, covers and stoppers
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top noun (MOST IMPORTANT)

the top C2 [ S ]
the most important position in a group or organization:
at the top Life at the top is stressful.
at the top of At 40, he was at the top of his profession.
to the top As she was fond of reminding people, she started at the bottom and worked her way to the top.
He fought and clawed his way to the top.
Anyone who wants to stay at the top of their sport needs to work unbelievably hard.
SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases
Success and achievements
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the top of the hour
mainly US
the beginning of an hour, for example one o'clock, five o'clock, or ten o'clock:
We will update you on that story at the top of the hour.
The radio presenter announced "It's 19 minutes before the top of the hour".
SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases
Points in time
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top noun (TOY)

[ C ]
a spinning top
 
vasiliki/E+/GettyImages
SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases
Toys & dolls
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top noun (EARRING)

[ C usually plural ] Indian English
a piece of jewellery, usually one of a pair, worn in a hole in the ear or fastened to the ear by a clip; an earring
SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases
Jewelry
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top noun (LEAVES)

tops [ plural ]
the leaves of a vegetable plant grown mainly for its roots:
We fed the rabbit some beetroot tops.
See more

Idioms

at the top of your voice
be at the top of your game
from top to bottom
from top to toe
get on top of someone
off the top of your head
on top of something
on top of the world
over the top
top of the morning
top
adjective [ before noun ]
uk
/tɒp/ us
/tɑːp/

top adjective [before noun] (HIGHEST PART)

B1 [ before noun ]
at the highest part of something:
There's a dirty mark on the top left-hand corner of the picture.
The offices are on the top floor of the building.
He was standing on the top rung of a ladder.
The ball curled into the top corner of the net.
More examplesFewer examples
SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases
Edges & extremities of objects
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top adjective [before noun] (UPPER PART)

in the part nearest to the highest part; in the upper part:
The top few steps were damaged and broken.
SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases
Edges & extremities of objects
See more results »
top
adjective, adverb
uk
/tɒp/ us
/tɑːp/
B1
(in the position of being) most important or successful; best:
So what would be your top choice of a place to go on holiday?
As a chess player he's among the top ten percent in the country.
B1
Top people, organizations, or activities are the most important or successful ones:
top athletes/executives
top jobs
top schools
at top speed
as fast as possible:
The train thundered through the station at top speed.
See more
be/come top
B2 UK
to be the student with the best results:
be/come top of the class She came top of the class in English.
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on top form UK (US in top form)
feeling or doing things as well as possible:
Paul's back on top form after his illness.
See more
More examplesFewer examples
SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases
Successful (things or people)
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You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:
top
adjective, exclamation
UK informal
uk
/tɒp/ us
/tɑːp/
excellent:
"How was your party?" "Top, mate."
"You coming, then? " "Yeah, top!"
SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases
Extremely good
See more results »
top
verb
uk
/tɒp/ us
/tɑːp/
-pp-

top verb (HIGHEST PART)

C2 [ T ]
(also top off)
to be on the upper surface of something, especially as a decoration:
be topped with The dessert was topped off with whipped cream and pieces of fruit.
More examplesFewer examples
SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases
Edges & extremities of objects
See more results »

top verb (MOST IMPORTANT)

C2 [ T ]
to be the most important, most successful, etc.:
top the charts The song topped the charts (= sold the largest number of recordings) for five weeks.
top the bill She topped the bill (= was the most important act in the show).
SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases
Being important and having importance
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top verb (BEST)

[ T ]
to do, pay, etc. more or better than anyone else:
"They've offered me £1,000." "I'm afraid we can't top that."
top something with something She topped my suggestion with an even better one of her own.
SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases
Surpassing in quality or number
See more results »

top verb (KILL)

top yourself UK slang
to kill yourself

Idioms

top and tail
to top it all

Phrasal verbs

top something off
top something up
top someone up
top-
prefix
uk
/tɒp-/ us
/tɑːp-/
used with many different words to mean "best":
a top-class athlete
top-ranking officers
SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases
Extremely good
See more results »
(Definition of top from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)

top | American Dictionary

top
noun
us
/tɑp/

top noun (HIGHEST PART)

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[ C ]
the highest point, place, or part:
We set out for the top of the mountain at daybreak.
The book was on (the) top of the table (= on the upper surface of the table).

top noun (LID)

[ C ]
a cover or lid used to close a container:
a bottle top

top noun (TOY)

[ C ]
a toy with rounded sides that you can spin on a point at its bottom

top noun (CLOTHING)

[ C ]
a piece of clothing worn esp. by women on the part of the body above the waist:
I’m looking for a matching top to go with this skirt.

top noun (BEST POSITION)

[ U ]
the most important or successful position in a group or organization:
At forty he was at the top of (= one of the leaders of) his profession.

Idioms

at the top of your lungs
on top
on top of something
on top of the world
top
adjective [ not gradable ]
us
/tɑp/

top adjective [not gradable] (UPPER)

in the highest or upper part:
She tripped over the top step and nearly fell.
The pages are numbered on the top right-hand corner (= on the upper right surface of the page).
top
adjective, adverb [ not gradable ]
us
/tɑp/

top adjective, adverb [not gradable] (BEST)

(in the position of being) at the highest level of importance, achievement, or success; best:
It was rated among the ten top universities in the nation.
She’s one of the top executives in the fashion industry.
As a chess player, he’s among the top 10% in the country.
Top is used with many different words to mean best:
top-ranked athletes
top-rated bonds
top-seeded tennis players
top
verb [ T ]
us
/tɑp/
-pp-

top verb [T] (BE HIGHER THAN)

to be more than:
The school building fund now tops $180,000.

top verb [T] (MAKE BETTER)

to do, pay, etc. more than anyone else; to make something more or better:
"They’ve offered me $1000." "I’m afraid we can’t top (= offer more than) that."

Idiom

to top it (all) off

Phrasal verbs

top off something
top off something
(Definition of top from the Cambridge Academic Content Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

top | Business English

top
noun
uk
/tɒp/ us
the top
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the most important or successful position in an organization, activity, etc.:
He worked hard and quickly reached the top of his profession.
Congratulations on your promotion - how are you enjoying life at the top?
be at the top of your game informal
to be able to use your skills and abilities to a very high level, and even more than you have done previously:
She's 55 and at the top of her game as an entrepreneur.
come out on top
to be the winner in a competitive situation:
The company that drops its prices first will come out on top.
from the top down
at all levels in a company, including the most important managers:
There have been mutiple failures, from the top down.
From the top down, staff are remarkably optimistic.
starting at the level of the most important managers and spreading to other employees:
Change has been imposed from the top down.
on top (of sth)
in addition to something:
When we came to pay for the goods, there was a delivery charge on top.
We expect sales to rise by 6% on top of last year's growth.
The company's in financial trouble and on top of that they're losing key staff.
in control of a situation:
be/get/stay on top of sth Management needs to get on top of the problem quickly.
top of mind
MARKETING
→  front of mind
top
adjective [ before noun ]
uk
/tɒp/ us
most important or successful in an organization, activity, etc.:
We have a meeting with the company's top managers.
She's applying for a range of top jobs in the field.
He graduated from one of the top universities in the country.
in the highest position or rank:
My office is on the top floor of the building.
top 10/50/100, etc. A number of Fortune Magazine's top 500 companies maintain headquarters or major facilities in New Jersey.
top
adverb
uk
/tɒp/ us
very successfully:
a top performing/top achieving company
top
verb [ T ]
uk
/tɒp/ us
-pp-
to do something better than you did previously, or better than someone else:
The sales team are aiming to top last year's performance.
The figures topped last year's results by 15%.
to be more than a particular number or amount:
Visits to the website are now topping 5,000 per day.
to be in the highest position in a list or rank:
They top the list of high-performing investments.

Phrasal verbs

top out
top sth up
(Definition of top from the Cambridge Business English Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

Examples of top

top
Younging direction is towards the top of the photo.
From the Cambridge English Corpus
Presentation may be centered between the top and the bottom of the screen.
From the Cambridge English Corpus
The top half of the students was allocated to the key class and the poorer half to the ordinary one.
From the Cambridge English Corpus
A complete specification of the model will require more investigation of the role of top-down inhibition among representations.
From the Cambridge English Corpus
However, two top acts took less co-operative stances.
From the Cambridge English Corpus
Thus, the refinement of abstract model into a detailed one is, in their interpretation, a feature of top-down design.
From the Cambridge English Corpus
We will speak of the top, bottom, and two (vertical) sides of such a rectangle.
From the Cambridge English Corpus
Although no visible zonation, the layer was sampled in several steps from bottom to top.
From the Cambridge English Corpus
For each point, the bottom line indicates when it is visible, the top line indicates when it is selected for feature extraction.
From the Cambridge English Corpus
In the restricted syntax, top-level classes do not contain nested classes; all types are top-level class names; and methods are monomorphic.
From the Cambridge English Corpus
Experimental test in lowland tropical forest shows top-down effects through four trophic levels.
From the Cambridge English Corpus
This implies that there are strong pressures toward the consolidation of a vertical organizational structure where the best performers cluster at the top.
From the Cambridge English Corpus
These points or places are: where the sun rises; where it reaches the top; where the sun sets; and where it reaches bottom.
From the Cambridge English Corpus
It exists on top of the music; it's not really part of the music.
From the Cambridge English Corpus
All figures are of coronal sections; dorsal to top, lateral to left.
From the Cambridge English Corpus
See all examples of top
These examples are from corpora and from sources on the web. Any opinions in the examples do not represent the opinion of the Cambridge Dictionary editors or of Cambridge University Press or its licensors.

Collocations with top

top

These are words often used in combination with top.

Click on a collocation to see more examples of it.

bikini top
She wore a pink bikini top and short shorts, and her torso was redesigned (this appearance has remained in subsequent games).
From
Wikipedia
This example is from Wikipedia and may be reused under a CC BY-SA license.
convertible top
It was only available as a package; that is, power assisted windows, front seat, and convertible top (where applicable).
From
Wikipedia
This example is from Wikipedia and may be reused under a CC BY-SA license.
quilt top
Dramatic contrast effects with light and dark fabrics are created by various layouts of the blocks when forming a quilt top.
From
Wikipedia
This example is from Wikipedia and may be reused under a CC BY-SA license.
These examples are from corpora and from sources on the web. Any opinions in the examples do not represent the opinion of the Cambridge Dictionary editors or of Cambridge University Press or its licensors.
See all collocations with top
What is the pronunciation of top, top-?
 

Translations of top

in Chinese (Traditional)
頂部, 頂, 頂端…
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in Chinese (Simplified)
顶部, 顶, 顶端…
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in Spanish
parte de arriba, top, tapón…
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in Portuguese
parte de cima, cume, topo…
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in more languages
in Marathi
in Japanese
in Turkish
in French
in Catalan
in Dutch
in Tamil
in Hindi
in Gujarati
in Danish
in Swedish
in Malay
in German
in Norwegian
in Urdu
in Ukrainian
in Telugu
in Bengali
in Czech
in Indonesian
in Thai
in Vietnamese
in Polish
in Korean
in Italian
उंच/ वरचे टोक, खांद्यापासून कमरेपर्यंत येणारे वस्त्र, कुडता…
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頂点, 最上, 上半身に着る服…
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tepe, en üst/tepe, üst…
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sommet [masculine], haut [masculine], dessus [masculine]…
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part de dalt, brusa, samarreta…
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top, beste, blad…
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மிக உயர்ந்த இடம் அல்லது பகுதி, இடுப்புக்கு மேலே உடலின் ஒரு பகுதியில் அணியும் மெல்லிய ஆடையின் ஒரு துண்டு, ஒரு கொள்கலன் அல்லது பேனாவை மூடுவதற்கு பயன்படுத்தப்படும் கவர் அல்லது மூடி…
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शीर्ष भाग, ऊपर, (शरीर के ऊपरी भाग का एक परिधान) टॉप…
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ટોચ, મથાળું, શરીરના કમરથી ઉપરના ભાગ પર પહેરવાનું કોઈ પણ હળવું વસ્ત્ર.…
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top, øverst, bedst…
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topp, övre del, [han är] bäst [i klassen]…
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puncak, atas sekali, paling…
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die Spitze, die Oberfläche, der Deckel…
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topp [masculine], lokk [neuter], topp-…
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سب سے اونچی جگہ یا حصہ, قمیض, ٹاپ (کمر سے اوپر پہنا جانے والا ہلکا پھلکا کپڑا)…
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верхівка, вершина, найвище…
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పైన, పాత్రను లేదా పెన్నును మూసివేయడానికి ఉపయోగించే మూత, ఎత్తులో…
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উপরে / উর্দ্ধে, শার্ট, টপ…
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vrchol, horní, přední místo…
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puncak, nomor satu, permukaan…
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จุดสูงสุด, สถานะของผู้ที่ฉลาดที่สุดในชั้นเรียน, ด้านบน…
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phần cao nhất, vị trí số 1 trong lớp, mặt trên…
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góra, szczyt, wierzch…
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꼭대기, 톱, 여성의 윗옷…
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cima, maglietta, top…
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