Meaning & use
top-notch
Last updated
UK/ˌtɒp ˈnɒtʃ/
US/ˌtɑːp ˈnɑːtʃ/
Meaning
adjectivecomparableinformalapproving
Of the very best quality; extremely good.
Grammar: Goes before a noun (a top-notch hotel) or after a verb (the service was top-notch).
Patterns
- top-notch quality
- a top-notch something
The restaurant serves top-notch seafood.
She hired a top-notch lawyer to handle the case.
The team's work was top-notch from start to finish.
Common combinations
- top-notch service
- The hotel is famous for its top-notch service.
- top-notch quality
- The cameras are of top-notch quality.
- top-notch education
- The school provides a top-notch education.
- a top-notch performance
- The pianist gave a top-notch performance.
- top-notch equipment
- The gym has top-notch equipment.
Synonyms and how they differ
- first-rate
- First-rate is slightly more neutral and fits written English better than top-notch.
- excellent
- Excellent is the standard word and suits both formal and casual writing, unlike informal top-notch.
- superb
- Superb suggests an even higher, almost magnificent level of quality.
- outstanding
- Outstanding stresses that something stands out above others, often in an official or formal context.
Opposites
Practice
Which word is closest in meaning to top-notch in the sentence: The chef's cooking was top-notch?
Choose one answer.
Top-notch means of the very best quality, which is first-rate. Adequate is only acceptable, and expensive or unusual say nothing about quality.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “top-notch”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.
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