heap
noun · verb
Simple meaning
A great number or large quantity of things.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
heepIPA pronunciation (US)
ˈhip
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
noun
A great number or large quantity of things.
A crowd; a throng; a multitude or great number of people.
A pile or mass; a collection of things laid in a body, or thrown together so as to form an elevation.
often followed by `of'
A large number or amount or extent
colloquial
A lot, a large amount
colloquial
A dilapidated place or vehicle.
verb
transitive
To supply in great quantity.
transitive
To pile in a heap.
transitive
To form or round into a heap, as in measuring.
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: A great number or large quantity of things.
Used this way, heap is a reasonably familiar word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. This sense is about measurement, so it is used where accuracy is the point.
- Emotional tone
- Neutral
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Moderate
- How common
- Moderately common
- Connotation
- Matter-of-fact
- Usage feel
- Neutral and straightforward
Where it naturally appears
- Technical/specialist writing
- Academic writing
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
More ways to use heap
- “There was a big heap of clothes on the floor, waiting to be folded.”noun
Share your sentence
More about this wordSynonyms, forms, origin
Use This Word
See how this word sounds in a real sentence.
Ask Vocabaura
Understand the word your way.
What Does It Mean Here?
Words can change meaning depending on context.
Use it yourself
Knowing “heap” starts when you use it. Pick a next step, all free.
Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.