heap

American  

[heep] / hip /

noun

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)

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)

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

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

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

Example Sentences

When he climbed the heap of slurry, he saw splintered furniture and ruined papers, but one thing remained intact.

From BBC • Apr. 4, 2026

This game began, appropriately enough, with Angela Dugalic blocking Aston Judd’s shot and then glaring at her as the Longhorn lay in a heap.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 4, 2026

Some crafty artifice and a heap of negative space aren’t enough to fill the void left by a complete lack of narrative sense.

From Salon • Mar. 15, 2026

Google’s Gemini 3 large language model, released in mid-November, vaulted the company to the top of the AI heap due to its strong performance on AI benchmarks.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 24, 2026

"Uh-huh," I said, looking at the rusty heap stuck behind all the others.

From "City of the Plague God" by Sarwat Chadda

Related Words

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