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.
Any team that is built top-heavy with some of the best offensive weapons in the league needs those weapons to fire in the biggest games. Joshua Kloke, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2025 The plants can also get top-heavy and easily blow over. Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 30 Apr. 2025 With the Colorado Rockies sinking in a top-heavy NL West, the expiring contract of their longtime ace, Germán Márquez, will head the topic of conversation. Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Apr. 2025 The Avs had brilliant top-line players but were tissue-paper thin, top-heavy and easily handled by deeper teams. Mark Lazerus, New York Times, 20 Apr. 2025 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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Top-heavy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/top-heavy. Accessed 6 May. 2025.

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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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