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.
In practice, Antonio Conte’s attempts to use Richarlison, Kane and Son together just gave Spurs a clunky, top-heavy feel. Jack Pitt-Brooke, New York Times, 14 May 2025 Critics of the current four-star structure argue that the U.S. military has become too top-heavy. David A. Deptula, Forbes.com, 13 May 2025 While determinate tomatoes can be grown in a 5-gallon bucket, the indeterminate ones will become top-heavy, dry out too quickly, and produce fewer fruits when planted in containers. Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 6 May 2025 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 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 21 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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