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tope

toh-peh/ˈto.pe/

stop, limit

Also: buffer, doorstop
NounmA2
A colorful storybook illustration of a heavy wooden block placed at the end of a train track to stop a small train.

📝 In Action

El cajón tiene un tope para que no se caiga.

A2

The drawer has a stop so it doesn't fall out.

Gira el volante hasta el tope.

B1

Turn the steering wheel as far as it will go.

Necesitas poner un tope en la puerta.

A2

You need to put a doorstop on the door.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • límite (limit)
  • freno (brake/restraint)

Antonyms

Common Collocations

  • hasta el tope – to the limit/full
  • tope de gama – top of the range

cap, ceiling

Also: threshold
NounmB1
A colorful storybook illustration of a glass jar filled to the very brim with gold coins, with one coin resting on top.

📝 In Action

El gobierno puso un tope a los precios.

B1

The government put a cap on prices.

Hay un tope salarial en esta empresa.

B2

There is a salary cap in this company.

Llegamos al tope de nuestra capacidad.

B1

We reached the limit of our capacity.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • máximo (maximum)
  • restricción (restriction)

Antonyms

  • mínimo (minimum)
  • suelo (floor (lower limit))

Common Collocations

  • tope salarial – salary cap
  • sin tope – without a limit

packed, at full capacity

Also: flat out
AdjectiveB2slang
Spain
A colorful storybook illustration of a small room filled with many happy people standing close together.

📝 In Action

Esta semana estoy a tope de trabajo.

B2

I'm swamped with work this week (at 100% capacity).

El concierto estaba a tope.

B2

The concert was packed.

¡Vamos a tope!

B1

Let's go all out!

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • lleno (full)
  • abarrotado (crowded)

Antonyms

Idioms & Expressions

  • estar a tope – To be very busy or for a place to be full
  • ponerse a tope – To get really excited or work really hard

Translate to Spanish

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: tope

Question 1 of 3

If you are 'a tope' with your homework, how do you feel?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
topar(to run into / to bump) — Verb
topetazo(a big bump/crash) — Noun
atopar(to find (regional)) — Verb
🎵 Rhymes▼
siropegalope
📚 Etymology▼

Likely from an onomatopoeic word (a sound-word) 'top', imitating the sound of two things hitting each other.

First recorded: 13th century

Cognates (Related words)

French: topEnglish: stop

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is 'tope' the same as 'límite'?

Close! 'Límite' is general, but 'tope' usually implies a maximum cap that you shouldn't or can't go past, or a physical object that stops movement.

Can 'tope' be feminine?

No, it is always 'el tope', even when used informally.

What does 'a tope' mean in a party context?

It means the party is packed and the atmosphere is high-energy.