English
Alternative spellings
over-the-top
Adjective
over the top
- Excessive; exaggerated; outrageous.
#:He has always had an independent style, but don't you think purple spiky hair is a bit over the top?
Usage notes
Over the top occurs only following a copula as the object of a sentence, as above, whereas
Over-the-top is used where the adjective occurs before the word it modifies, as
:He gave an over-the-top performance.
Adverb
over the top
- context|from World War One Over the parapet of a trench, especially at the start of a futile attack.
#:The men were sent over the top to their certain death.
- To an excessive or outrageous degree; beyond normal, expected, or reasonable limits.
#*2007, Bruce Jenkins, "The Chronicle Sports Columnist Blog," San Francisco Chronicle, 26 Aug,
#*:Myers went over the top in the clubhouse, berating a reporter who questioned Myers' terminology.
References
"over the top" in the Dictionary.com Unabridged, v1.0.1, Lexico Publishing Group, 2006.
Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., 1989.
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