heap

American  

[heep] / hip /

noun

• heaps
  plural

1. a group of things placed, thrown, or lying one on another; pile.

   a heap of stones.

   Synonyms:

   collection, accumulation, stack, mass

2. Informal. a great quantity or number; multitude.

   a heap of people.

3. Slang. an automobile, especially a dilapidated one.

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verb (used with object)

• heaps,
  present (3rd person singular)
• heaped,
  past participle,  past
• heaping
  present participle

1. to gather, put, or cast in a heap; pile (often followed by up, on, together, etc.).

2. to accumulate or amass (often followed by up ortogether ).

   to heap up riches.

3. to give, assign, or bestow in great quantity; load (often followed by on orupon ).

   to heap blessings upon someone; to heap someone with work.

4. to load, supply, or fill abundantly.

   to heap a plate with food.

verb (used without object)

• heaps,
  present (3rd person singular)
• heaped,
  past participle,  past
• heaping
  present participle

1. to become heaped or piled, as sand or snow; rise in a heap or heaps (often followed byup ).

idioms

1. all of a heap,

   1. overwhelmed with astonishment; amazed.

      We were struck all of a heap upon hearing of their divorce.

   2. suddenly; abruptly;

      All of a heap the room was empty.

heap British  

/ hiːp /

noun

1. a collection of articles or mass of material gathered together in one place

2. informal a large number or quantity

3. slang to contend strenuously with an opposing sporting team

4. slang to try very hard

5. informal a place or thing that is very old, untidy, unreliable, etc

   the car was a heap

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adverb

1. (intensifier)

   he said he was feeling heaps better

verb

1. to collect or be collected into or as if into a heap or pile

   to heap up wealth

2. (tr; often foll by with, on, or upon) to load or supply (with) abundantly

   to heap with riches

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• heaper
  noun
• overheap
  verb (used with object)
• heapy
  adjective
• unheaped
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• heaps
  plural

Participles

• heaping
  present
• heaped
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• heap
  simple
• heaps
  simple
• have heaped
  perfect
• has heaped
  perfect
• am heaping
  progressive
• are heaping
  progressive
• is heaping
  progressive
• have been heaping
  perfect progressive
• has been heaping
  perfect progressive

Past

• heaped
  simple
• had heaped
  perfect
• was heaping
  progressive
• were heaping
  progressive
• had been heaping
  perfect progressive

Future

• will heap
  simple
• will have heaped
  perfect
• will be heaping
  progressive
• will have been heaping
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of heap

First recorded before 900; 1925–30 heap for def. 3; Middle English heep, Old English hēap; cognate with Dutch hoop, Old High German houf; akin to German Haufe

Explanation

A great big pile of something is a heap. Your sloppy brother might keep all of his clothes in a heap on his bedroom floor. A heap can be a literal mound of things — a heap of money in your piggy bank, or a heap of wet towels beside the pool — or it can be a figurative pile. For example, you might worry that if you're caught eating your roommate's pizza you'll be in a heap of trouble. Heap is also a verb, as when you heap compliments on your best friend. Since 1924 heap has also meant "junky old car."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

heap heaps heaped heaping

Discovery shareholders by $7 million a day, so-called ticking fees that will heap more debt onto the highly leveraged transaction.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 14, 2026

"All these apples will go on the compost heap," MacDonald tells me, ruefully.

From BBC ● Aug. 25, 2026

That promises to heap more pressure on an already strapped public — even if the full economic impact of higher energy prices might take a while to fully trickle down to the U.S. economy.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 20, 2026

Gold, silver and bitcoin are all falling to their lowest levels of the year as a strong dollar and fears of interest-rate hikes heap pressure on the “debasement trade.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 25, 2026

The boys had buried themselves in a heap of shorn ivy, but Cassiopeia stood next to Penelope and Simon, with Shantaloo curled in her arms.

From "The Interrupted Tale" by Maryrose Wood

Along with heaps of data on shoppers and an increasingly sophisticated digital advertising network, they have a fleet of smaller contract factories that can make pretty much anything and are eager for the business.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 16, 2026

In addition, there is heaps of hype around the Rams.

From BBC ● Sep. 10, 2026

Rescue teams and volunteers climbed heaps of ruins that used to be buildings as tall as 15 stories, screaming out the names of the missing.

From Barron's ● Jun. 26, 2026

Chile imports more sulfuric acid than any other country and uses it to leach copper from huge heaps of ore.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 9, 2026

I’d rather dig in the garbage heaps with the rats for my meals.

From "Blood on the River" by Elisa Carbone

On Saturday, Ukraine's foreign minister Andriy Sybiga heaped further criticism on the Russian leader.

From Barron's ● Jun. 6, 2026

“Trainspotting” is in part a sly corrective to “Clockwork,” which heaped scorn on both criminals and criminal justice.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 4, 2026

Jack Grealish played his part before a season-ending foot injury, but the workload heaped on Iliman Ndiaye and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall eventually took its toll.

From BBC ● May 25, 2026

Just reading the many well-wishes heaped upon Aaron from his fellow pros affirms he is a well-loved, well-respected man.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 23, 2026

At one end, heaped high against the sloping ceiling, were the folders and exercise books from the last months of his preparations for finals.

From "Atonement" by Ian McEwan

At every turn, Schoenbrun buries the movie alive, heaping layer upon layer of meta subtext onto it.

From Salon ● Aug. 26, 2026

The official Telegram account on X posted a photo Wednesday morning of Durov giving the middle finger over a heaping plate of pickles.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026

Graham was, rhetorically, almost pathetically in Trump’s thrall, heaping flattery onto a president who’d once posted Graham’s phone number online for mass harassment.

From Slate ● Jul. 14, 2026

All of which is heaping pressure on professionals and entrepreneurs -- those not benefiting from the spending on the war who are "suffering the most", Kolyandr said.

From Barron's ● Jun. 30, 2026

All the pails and buckets were heaping full of dripping, golden honeycomb.

From "Little House in the Big Woods" by Laura Ingalls Wilder

Related Words

• bundle
• clump
• jumble
• lump
• stack
• ton