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

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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

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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

"Elevated concentrations of cadmium and nickel in freshwater, and cadmium and arsenic in soil, were largely confined to Deene Quarry and a former slag heap in Weldon," the group added.

From BBC ● Oct. 18, 2026

I’d be remiss not to heap praise on the sisters Mara, who bring something to the screen that I haven’t seen in quite some time.

From Salon ● Sep. 28, 2026

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

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

The creature collapsed to the ground in a heap, dropping Ivan.

From Anya and the Nightingale by Sofiya Pasternack

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

On the other side of that line stands Kiffin, boldly sticking by his plan while the rest of the college football world heaps scorn on him.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 2, 2026

Manure from cattle, pigs and poultry is scooped from heaps in the fields and carefully weighed to be spread evenly.

From BBC ● Aug. 26, 2026

Along the roads around Izyum burnt-out shells of petrol stations have become part of the landscape, heaps of mangled, charred metal.

From Barron's ● Aug. 12, 2026

There, in Dallben’s chamber, moldering tomes overflowed the sagging shelves and spilled onto the floor amid heaps of iron cook-pots, studded belts, harps with or without strings, and other oddments.

From "The Book of Three" by Lloyd Alexander

For all the derision heaped upon Sofia’s keen directorial eye and scrupulous vision, a behind-the-scenes look only makes the details all the more impressive.

From Salon ● Oct. 20, 2026

SpaceX’s traction among consumers and government customers with its satellite offerings has heaped pressure on companies looking to compete, prompting a wave of consolidation across the industry.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 29, 2026

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

From Barron's ● Jun. 6, 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

Our destination turned out to be an empty stretch of road cut off by a pile of stones and logs heaped in the middle of the path.

From "The City Beautiful" by Aden Polydoros

The RAC said price rises were "showing no signs of slowing, heaping more misery onto motorists".

From BBC ● Oct. 2, 2026

The runup in interest rates has profound consequences for the global economy, heaping pressure on everyone from home buyers to credit-card holders and especially governments, which have borrowed heavily in recent years.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 1, 2026

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

From Salon ● Aug. 26, 2026

The influx is heaping "colossal pressure" on the cities, he warned in separate comments last year.

From Barron's ● Jul. 22, 2026

There are hash browns, sausages, and heaping baskets of thickly sliced bread.

From "Water for Elephants" by Sara Gruen

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