top-heavy

adjective

ˈtäp-ˌhe-vē How to pronounce top-heavy (audio)
Synonyms of top-heavynext
1
: having the top part too heavy for the lower part
2
: having too high a proportion of administrators
a top-heavy bureaucracy
3
: oversupplied with one element at the expense of others : lacking balance
a novel top-heavy with description

Examples of top-heavy in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Those moments are sobering reminders of just how thin the margins are for the Phillies rotation, which has been excellent for the most part, though extremely top-heavy. — Charlotte Varnes, New York Times, 9 Aug. 2026 Given the past few decades’ top-heavy growth in personal incomes and their distribution, that may understandably be the case — they may simply be spoiled. — Letters To The Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 9 Aug. 2026 The Philadelphia Phillies have made little secret of their intentions ahead of this year's trade deadline, with a top-heavy roster in need of some reinforcements. — Peter Chawaga, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026 The commission also recommended, as an alternative, shortening the arch itself while making the gilded statue even taller—a compromise that would leave the arch squat beneath a top-heavy sculpture. — Janay Kingsberry, The Atlantic, 19 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for top-heavy

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1531, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of top-heavy was circa 1531

Rhymes for top-heavy

See All Rhymes for top-heavy

Browse Nearby Words

top-heaviness
top-heavy
Tophet
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Top-heavy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/top-heavy. Accessed 17 Aug. 2026.

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Kids Definition

top-heavy

adjective
ˈtäp-ˌhev-ē
: having the top part too heavy for the lower part

More from Merriam-Webster on top-heavy

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for top-heavy

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