top-heavy

adjective

ˈtäp-ˌhe-vē 

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

Either way, the Cavs project to be top-heavy as long as Mitchell, Mobley and Allen are all still in town. — Bryan Toporek, Forbes.com, 8 July 2026

The Oilers are still top-heavy, with three men making more than $10 million annually. — Allan Mitchell, New York Times, 5 July 2026

Support top-heavy plants by wrapping a slit pool noodle around stems or pairing it with a stake for stability. — Claire Hoppe Norgaard, Better Homes & Gardens, 2 July 2026

The 1968 lineup was incredibly top-heavy with peak Carl Yastrzemski and a 35-homer season by Ken Harrelson, and the 2014 club featured David Ortiz, Dustin Pedroia and rookie Mookie Betts, even though many of the heroes of the 2013 World Series team wound up taking big steps back. — Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 14 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1531, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for top-heavy

• replevy
• bevy
• chevy
• heavy
• levee
• levy

Kids Definition

top-heavy

adjective

ˈtäp-ˌhev-ē

: having the top part too heavy for the lower part