King of the hill and king of the castle are two idioms that mean the same thing. An idiom is a word, group of words or phrase that has a figurative meaning that is not easily deduced from its literal meaning. We will examine the definitions of king of the hill and king of the castle, where the terms came from and some examples of their use in sentences.
King of the hill and king of the castle describes the person who is in charge, who is at the top, who is the most successful. The terms king of the hill and king of the castle come from a children’s game known by the same names. In the game, a child stands at the top of a hill or promontory and must defend his position from all other players. Usually the other players attempt to push the king of the hill or the king of the castle from his position, though the game may get rough. Like many playground terms, king of the hill and king of the castle began to take on a figurative meaning in the 1800s.
Examples
At the moment, Cerber may be king of the hill, but if you look at history, this will not last for too long. (The St. George Daily Spectrum)
But the CEO’s first answer, at the same time, sells short what Rightmove has done consistently to remain king of the hill. (Forbe’s Magazine)
‘You are not the King of the Castle’: The rambling note left by a furious neighbour complaining about the noise from another unit (The Daily Mail)Ralph Kramden was clearly the driver of the bus, the captain of the ship, the king of the castle, the alpha of his marriage. (The Northwest Herald)
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