over the top

== English == === Alternative forms === over-the-top === Etymology === The adjectival form first appears c. 1935. See cite below. The adverbial form (in reference to World War I) first appears c. 1915. === Pronunciation === === Adjective === over the top (comparative more over the top, superlative most over the top) (idiomatic) Beyond normal, expected, or reasonable limits; outrageous. Synonyms: excessive, exaggerated, OTT, too much (communication) Delivered across the Internet to a television or similar device. === Adverb === over the top (comparative more over the top, superlative most over the top) Egregiously; beyond compare. ==== Usage notes ==== Over the top (unhyphenated) occurs only following a copula as the object of a sentence, as above, whereas over-the-top (hyphenated) is attributive, that is, it is used where the adjective occurs before the word it modifies, as in, "He gave an over-the-top performance". ==== Translations ==== === Adverb === over the top (comparative more over the top, superlative most over the top) (not comparable, World War I) Over the parapet of a trench, especially at the start of a futile attack. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see over,‎ the,‎ top. === References === "over the top" in the Dictionary.com Unabridged, v1.0.1, Lexico Publishing Group, 2006. Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., 1989. === Further reading === over-the-top media service on Wikipedia.Wikipedia