Top and bottom are some of the simplest terms used in the English vocabulary. Top and bottom are those words that can mean more than one thing at a time. They are the most general terms a child learns in the initial years of their life.
Key Takeaways
- In LGBTQ+ relationships, the top refers to the person who assumes a more dominant or giving role during sexual activities. At the same time, the bottom is the person who assumes a more submissive or receiving role.
- A person can be exclusively a top or bottom, or they may switch roles, which is called being “versatile.”
- Personal preference, comfort, and compatibility determine an individual’s preferred role.
Top vs Bottom
“Top” refers to the uppermost part of something or the highest position in a hierarchy or ranking, referring to the most successful or prestigious status. “Bottom” refers to the lowermost portion of something or the lowest position in an order or order, referring to the least desirable.
The top is used as a term for the highest part of something. It also means a flat region on something. The flat area is also called the top.
It has a vivid description of many aspects of using the English language. It also signifies the most important or highest position.
The bottom is the opposite of the word top. Base is used in an introductory manner for signifying somewhere’s lowest place or position.
The bottom also has a comprehensive set of meanings that are used in the everyday English language—the word bottom points to the most downward aspect of something.
Comparison Table
| Parameters of Comparison | Top | Bottom |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | Top, in the form of a noun, signifies the highest point or part of something. | When used as a noun, the bottom signifies the lowest part or point of something. |
| Adjective | The top also means an upper body garment that can be worn. | The bottom word as an adjective relates to the lowest position or most down degree of something. |
| Verb | When used as a verb, top means the most important or highest presence of something. | Bottom means downgraded or very cheap when used as a verb. |
| Clothing relation | Bottom means the lower garment or clothing someone can wear in the lower body segment. | Bottom means the lower garment or clothing that someone can wear in the lower body segment. |
| American slang | In slang terms, the top is used for the most dominant person in sexual intercourse. | Bottom, in slang terms, is used for the most submissive person in sexual intercourse. |
What is Top?
We can use top in various aspects of our everyday life. Regarding basic knowledge, the top means the uppermost part or the highest position.
For example, a tabletop means the table’s flat and top surface. The top is used as a noun, adjective, and verb also. When we talk about stocks, success, and dominance, the top refers to the highest position of an organization.
A man who is on top can be referred to as the most paid man or the most successful man in any aspect of that organization. The word top is also used as an upper-body part garment that can be worn.
These garments mean shirts, t-shirts, coats, blazers, etc. The upper clothing body, part of the body, also refers to the top that someone wore. Besides these, the top is also used as an American slang term.
In sexual intercourse between two people of the same gender, the top refers to the one who is more dominant and aggressive in the act.
Other examples of using the top include the top of a staircase, the top of a building or a table, etc. The top can also be used for rank, power, or success.
What is Bottom?
The bottom is a word that is an antonym of the top. Every opposite meaning of the top is for the base. Both of them are just opposite words. When we talk about general definition, the bottom means the lowest part or position of something.
The bottom is also used as a noun, adjective, and verb in a sentence. For instance, the bottom of a staircase or a building can be taken as a reference to learn about the word bottom.
Bottom refers to the most downgrade or the lowest position of an organization, like the lowest-paid firm of an organization is declared as bottom or downgraded firm.
When we talk about rank, the bottom means the lowest level in any aspect. Just like the top, the base is also used to refer to the softest body part clothing.
When we say bottom, it means jeans, undergarments, trousers, etc, that are wearable. In American slang, the base is used for someone in sexual intercourse which is the most submissive in that intercourse.
Top and bottom are used as slang when the same genders interact. The bottom is also used for rank, power, or success. For instance, the bottom of a building means the ground floor of the building.
Main Differences Between Top and Bottom
- The top is used to refer to the overside of something, whereas the bottom is used to refer to the underside of something.
- The top word is used to make the word ‘topper’ who ranks the highest in a class of students whereas the bottom has no relation with the lowest-ranked.
- The top is used to justify the superior quality of the materials or ingredients used to build something. In contrast, the bottom refers to the inferior quality of materials or ingredients to build something.
- The word top is also used to indicate the part of a warship concerning army personnel whereas the bottom has no relation to it.
- The top is used to signify the highest place of precedence whereas the bottom signifies the lowest precedence or order place of something.
- https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=_3hZKXdSEcQC&oi=fnd&dq=Difference+Between+Top+and+Bottom+(With+Table)&ots=ao2mm8Xffz&sig=nTyp7n0_5NeTJVLZ5qokwRxsX_A
- https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Jaime-Araya/publication/260422971_Key_performance_variables_between_the_top_10_and_bottom_10_teams_in_the_English_Premier_League_201213_season/links/00b49531161bf1bead000000/Key-performance-variables-between-the-top-10-and-bottom-10-teams-in-the-English-Premier-League-2012-13-season.pdf
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The article presents a detailed comparison of the terms top and bottom, encompassing their noun, adjective and verb uses, and even their slang meaning. It is quite useful for a better understanding of the English language, as well as their use in sexual intercourse.
The post explains the definition of the words ‘top’ and ‘bottom’ very well, however, it would have been interesting to learn more about their use in the LGBTQ+ community and the meaning behind it.
It is interesting how these two words have multiple meanings and how they are used in the LGBTQ+ community. Such an informative article.
I love the way that the blog talked about the difference between top and bottom, the information is very informative. Now I understand both terms and can use them in my conversations.
Although the article does a good job explaining the different meanings of the terms ‘top’ and ‘bottom’, I would have appreciated even more information about their significance in sexual terms, and how it relates to gender identity in society.
This article shows a very well structured and detailed comparison of the terms ‘top’ and ‘bottom’, in all their different meanings and uses. The most surprising piece of information I learned is that these terms can also be used in slang in the LGBTQ+ community, referring to the roles played by individuals during sexual activities.