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.
Long stem cuttings are often too top-heavy to stay upright in plant propagation jars, so take cuttings that are only 2 to 5 leaf segments long. Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 8 Dec. 2025 The emergence of these young contributors — and others like 26-year-old first-time starting center Neemias Queta — has buttressed a roster that looked dangerously top-heavy entering the season. Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 4 Dec. 2025 Wicked’s always been top-heavy, and that wasn’t going to change on the silver screen. Stephen Daw, Billboard, 2 Dec. 2025 This means building a thriving and broad-based AI ecosystem – not a top-heavy skyscraper for tech giants to dictate from. Alexandra Ebert, Fortune, 24 Nov. 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

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Cite this Entry

“Top-heavy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/top-heavy. Accessed 15 Dec. 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

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