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Glite Dictionary
heap of

heap of

51 1.8
A large pile of things or a large amount
  • noun
  • Informal
: un montón de
  • He has a heap of homework to complete before Friday.

And so this really answered a whole heap of questions for me.

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Examples

  • And there'll be a heap of things going on in that town down there.

    The Yellow Rolls-Royce (1964)

  • You guys are in a whole heap of trouble.

    New Jersey Drive (1995)

  • I can see we got a heap of work to do.

    Love Me Tender (1956)

  • A whole heap of them.

    Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter (2012)

  • And so this really answered a whole heap of questions for me.

    High Performance

  • I don't have a heap of great memories from back then.

    Brawl in Cell Block 99 (2017)

  • Blue sat brooding in the middle of a heap of rusting engine parts.

    Fiction book (1990)

  • Flinging the door open, I shone the flash around the heap of old furniture.

    Fiction book (1990)

  • The cookstove is cold, and the fireplace has a heap of ash, but no embers.

    Fiction book (1992)

  • The whole field, as far as the eye could see, was littered with abandoned boxes and heaps of luggage, even from the commander in chief's baggage train.

Synonyms

tons
vsheap of
  • Informal
577 2.1

A very large amount of something, often many people or things

is an informal pile phrase that stresses physical or casual abundance
pile
vsheap of
447 1.9

A heap of things put together

is the casual phrase used to mean that same large amount
stack
vsheap of
193 1.0

A pile of things placed one on top of another

is less about neat arrangement and more about casual abundance
a load of
vsheap of
  • Informal
94 1.0

A large number or amount of things

is more specifically a casual phrase emphasizing a pile or amount
mountain
vsheap of
  • Informal
72 3.2

A very large amount of something that is hard to deal with

is a simple informal phrase for a large amount without the overwhelming tone
shitload of
vsheap of
  • Offensive
40 9.9

A very large amount of something used in rude speech

is the nonvulgar informal phrase for a large amount or pile
truckload
vsheap of
  • US
38 2.9

A very large amount about as much as fills a truck

is a more general informal pile expression not tied to vehicle capacity
mound
vsheap of
37 2.1

A small pile of things put on top of each other

is broader and used informally for large amount or pile rather than physical form
boatload
vsheap of
  • Informal
19 3.5

A very large amount of something

is the casual pile phrase not tied to a specific container image
heap
vsheap of
  • Informal
19 1.4

A large amount of things often in a messy pile

is the informal expression for a large amount or pile
heaps
vsheap of
  • UK
13 4.8

A large amount of things, for example work, friends, or food

is focused on a large physical pile as an informal phrase
piles
vsheap of
8 2.1

A large amount of things collected together, often in a stack

is the informal way to talk about a big amount or pile
buttload
vsheap of
  • Offensive
7 8.5

A very large amount of something said jokingly

is the straightforward informal phrase for a big pile or quantity
crapload
vsheap of
  • NSFW
3 9.1

A very large amount of something

is the casual phrase that conveys large amount without crude tone
fuckload of
vsheap of
  • Offensive
2 9.9

A very large amount of something used in rude, informal speech

is the everyday informal expression for a large amount without vulgarity
wagonload
vsheap of
  • Informal
1 4.5

A very large amount, like enough to fill a wagon

is the casual phrase for a large amount without vehicle imagery
stacks
vsheap of
  • Informal
1 3.3

A large amount of things, like books or food

is the colloquial phrase that highlights a big amount or pile
shedload of
vsheap of
  • UK
1 9.2

A very large amount of something you have or get

is similar but milder and used as a casual pile expression
metric shitload
vsheap of
  • Offensive
1 9.9

A very large amount of something said in a rude way

is the informal pile phrase without the vulgar, exaggerated tone

Antonyms

little
∞ 1.0

To a very small degree

little bit
∞ 1.0

A small amount of something

How Much

mountain
  • Informal
72 3.2
tons
  • Informal
577 2.1
heap of
  • Informal
51 1.8
lot
∞ 1.0
medium
284 1.3
little bit
∞ 1.0

Surface Forms

heap of singular
heaps of plural

Morphology

heap + of

The meaning 'a large amount or pile of something' is directly derivable from 'heap' (a pile or large quantity) combined with the preposition 'of' linking it to the noun phrase. This is a basic noun + of construction that is compositionally transparent and cross-linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows the constituents will readily understand it.

Etymology

Heap of comes from the word heap, which means a pile or mound of things, so imagine a big pile of plates, books, or gifts. That's why heap of is used to mean 'a large amount' or 'a lot' today.