Meaning & use
top-grossing
Last updated
Meaning
adjectivebefore a nounbusiness
earning more money than any other similar thing
Grammar: Used before a noun: 'the top-grossing movie'. It is not used after 'be' alone: not 'the movie is top-grossing' but 'the movie is the top-grossing one'.
Patterns
- top-grossing film
- top-grossing product
- top-grossing company
That movie was the top-grossing film of the year.
The company's top-grossing product is its smartphone.
Common combinations
- top-grossing film
- The top-grossing film of 2023 made over a billion dollars.
- top-grossing tour
- The singer's top-grossing tour broke records.
- top-grossing app
- This game is the top-grossing app in the store.
Synonyms and how they differ
- best-selling
- Refers to selling the most copies or units; 'top-grossing' focuses on total money earned.
- highest-earning
- A more general term for earning the most money; 'top-grossing' is often used for movies and entertainment.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: top-grossing or top-rated?
top-grossing vs top-rated
Top-rated means having the best reviews or ratings, while top-grossing means earning the most money.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'top-grossing' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Top-grossing' means earning the most money, so 'earned the most money' is correct. The other options describe quality, length, or cost, not earnings.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “top-grossing”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.