"On top of that…" / "On top of something…"

Meaning: in addition to; also

Similar Expressions

• My car broke down. On top of that, it rained.
• My car broke down. To make matters worse, it rained.
• My car broke down. Also, it rained.
• My car broke down and it rained.

When do we use it?

We use this when we want to show that some other event or thing happened in addition to the main thing.

This phrase is often used when a second bad or negative thing happens.

• I got fired. On top of that, my girlfriend broke up with me.

However, it is possible to use this expression for positive things too.

• I won the art contest. On top of that, I got offered a job at the museum.

How do we use it?

We use this phrase to show that the second event or thing is connected and in addition to the first thing. Both things happened at or around the same time.

• She is beautiful. On top of that, she is smart and funny.
• I broke my hand when I fell off my bike. On top of that, my bike was dented.

Example English Conversations

A) I lost my wallet yesterday.
B) That sucks.
A) On top of that, somebody found it and started using my credit card.

A) I was late to the meeting, and on top of that, I forget to bring my presentation materials.
B) Your boss must have been angry with you.

Adding expressions and idioms to your vocabulary will help you become a better English speaker. You do not need to learn a million expressions or idioms at one time! If you study new English expressions and idioms steadily and consistently, then your vocabulary will get better and better. Use these free English lessons to expand your vocabulary and learn useful English idioms, slang, and expressions.