topping

1 of 2

noun

top·​ping ˈtä-piŋ 

1

: something that forms a top

especially : a garnish (such as a sauce, bread crumbs, or whipped cream) placed on top of a food for flavor or decoration

2

: the action of one that tops

3

: something removed by topping

topping

2 of 2

adjective

1

: highest in rank or eminence

2

New England : proud, arrogant

3

chiefly British : excellent

Synonyms of topping

Adjective

• excellent
• great
• superb
• terrific
• wonderful
• awesome
• lovely
• fantastic
• fabulous
• stellar
• prime
• beautiful
• top
• fine
• hot
• marvelous
• quality

Examples of topping in a Sentence

Noun

What toppings do you want on the pizza?

an ice-cream sundae with whipped-cream topping

Adjective

I know a topping new pub in Southwark where we won't run into any toffs.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The dough is topped moderately so the sauce and toppings don’t make the crust soggy or floppy. —Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 Mar. 2026

For those craving excess, the legendary Quadzilla stacks four third-pound patties with American cheese and full toppings. —Susan Stapleton, Des Moines Register, 25 Mar. 2026

Adjective

This Mass Ave restaurant offers a weekend brunch with high-end dishes like multi-topping pancake or bagel boards ($22), three-egg omelets ($14 to $15) and salads ($12 to $15), plus upscale renditions of other familiar breakfast staples. —Bradley Hohulin, IndyStar, 31 Mar. 2026

They can be eaten fresh, frozen, or dried, and used as a topping, side, smoothie ingredient, or dessert. —Cristina Mutchler, Verywell Health, 20 Feb. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1691, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for topping

• chopping
• copping
• cropping
• dropping
• flopping
• hopping
• lopping
• mopping
• popping
• propping
• shopping
• slopping

Kids Definition

topping

noun

top·​ping

ˈtäp-iŋ

: a food served on top of another to make it look or taste better