English Reference
Idiom idiom

king of the hill


A person who is meanwhile in leading position in an ongoing competition.

Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.


SIMPLE

He is the king of the hill in our local chess club.

CONTEXTUAL

After winning three matches in a row, she felt like the king of the hill at the office tournament.

COMPLEX

Although he currently reigns as the king of the hill in the tech industry, he remains constantly worried about the next generation of innovators.


Related idioms8entries
  1. 01

    drama king

    An overly or exaggeratedly dramatic person, especially a man or a boy.

  2. 02

    fit for a king

    Lavish; luxurious.

  3. 03

    gold in them thar hills

    An opportunity for something to be profitable and/or beneficial.

  4. 04

    head for the hills

    To go to a safe place; to seek refuge; to flee.

  5. 05

    hill to die on

    An issue to pursue with a wholehearted conviction or a single-minded focus, with little or no regard to the cost and no intent of equivocation or compromise.

  6. 06

    king of all one surveys

    Possessing governing authority over a range of territory; having decisive control or oversight over all major matters within one's ambit of influence; having a satisfying position of respected leadership or comfortable prestige.

  7. 07

    king of beasts

    The lion.

  8. 08

    king of birds

    The eagle.

Last updated August 10, 2026