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 The Dolphins could face a similar decision in the 2024 Draft, with a deep wide receiver class and an opportunity to strengthen a top-heavy position group. Daniel Oyefusi, Miami Herald, 1 Mar. 2024 While much of that might yet be drummed up by saving money otherwise slated to be spent, the CFO said the balance sheet was too top-heavy with liabilities and needed proper restructuring. Christiaan Hetzner, Fortune Europe, 29 Feb. 2024 The issue is resource allocation and a top-heavy bureaucracy. Letters To The Editor, The Mercury News, 28 Feb. 2024 This incredibly top-heavy arrangement, the team hypothesizes, is not only cartoonish but represents the period’s incredible evolutionary experiments. Christian Thorsberg, Smithsonian Magazine, 5 Feb. 2024 The lineup is top-heavy, and the Maple Leafs could use some depth and defense at the trade deadline. Jay Ginsbach, Forbes, 22 Feb. 2024 Worries have grown about how top-heavy the stock market has become, where the seven biggest companies have accounted for a disproportionate amount of the S&P 500’s rally to a record. Yuri Kageyama, Quartz, 13 Feb. 2024 It's been a relatively quiet winter (new Dodgers Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto aside), with a top-heavy market never really taking shape. USA TODAY, 31 Jan. 2024 Being so top-heavy will force Minnesota to round its roster out and build depth through players on cheap contracts. Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 10 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'top-heavy.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Dictionary Entries Near top-heavy

Cite this Entry

“Top-heavy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/top-heavy. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

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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