heaping
heaping — adjective
1. much bigger or more than usual in size, number, or degree.
much bigger or more than usual in size, number, or degree.
The restaurant served a heaping portion of fries that covered the whole plate.
heaping portion — large serving of food
A heaping basket of apples sat on the kitchen counter waiting to be baked into pies.
heaping basket of [things] — large amount in a container
After the storm, a heaping pile of leaves blocked the front entrance of the school.
The farmer brought in a heaping harvest of pumpkins that filled three trailers behind the barn.
文法句型
heaping + noun
用法筆記
Almost always used before a noun. Common in informal and journalistic writing to emphasise that something is abundant.
2. filled with something right to the very top, so that the contents rise above the
filled with something right to the very top, so that the contents rise above the edge of the container.
Grandma gave Theo a heaping spoonful of honey to help his sore throat.
heaping spoonful of [substance] — classic use for kitchen measurements
Grace piled a heaping plate of rice and vegetables for the dinner guests.
The chef served a heaping bowl of soup that nearly spilled onto the tray.
Jun offered each guest a heaping cup of tea with fresh mint leaves from the garden.
- overflowing
adds a sense of liquid or small items spilling out, while heaping simply describes the amount
- mounded
focuses on the rounded shape of the contents above the rim, more common in US recipes
文法句型
heaping + spoonful/plate/bowl + of + noun
用法筆記
Most often describes spoons, bowls, plates, and cups. When used with spoonful, a heaping spoonful is roughly twice the amount of a level spoonful in cooking.
heaping — noun
1. an untidy pile formed by putting a number of things on top of one another withou
an untidy pile formed by putting a number of things on top of one another without careful arrangement.
A heap of dirty laundry sat in the corner of Diego's bedroom for three days.
a heap of + physical objects — concrete pile
The gardener put the fallen leaves into a heap at the edge of the yard.
Omar found a heap of old books and magazines in the basement of the library.
After the party, Ananya helped clear the heap of paper cups and empty bottles.
Vikram noticed a heap of stones marking the old path through the woods.
文法句型
a heap of + noun
用法筆記
Stronger than 'pile' in suggesting disorder. A heap of clothes is more likely to be messy than a pile of clothes.
常見錯誤
2. a very large amount or number of something that is not physically piled up — use
a very large amount or number of something that is not physically piled up — used for abstract things like problems, work, or complaints.
The charity received a heap of donations after the news report was broadcast.
a heap of + abstract plural — large quantity
There was a whole heap of problems at the factory — broken machines, late shipments, and sick workers.
whole heap of + specific concrete problems
Nadia had a heap of emails to answer before she could leave the office for the holiday.
The lawyer faced a heap of documents that needed careful review.
Ananya heard a heap of complaints about the new bus schedule from angry passengers.
文法句型
a heap of + uncountable/plural noun
heaps of + noun
用法筆記
Informal — use a lot of or a great deal of in formal writing. The plural form heaps of is also common in informal British and American English.
常見錯誤
3. a position or level within a group, organisation, or society, especially one tha
a position or level within a group, organisation, or society, especially one that determines how much power or success someone has.
In the old manor, the wealthy Landon family sat at the top of the social heap and rarely spoke to their servants.
top of the heap — highest position in a hierarchy
Theo worked his way up from the bottom of the corporate heap to become a director.
In some schools, athletes are placed at the top of the social heap by their classmates.
Valentina started at the bottom of the professional heap and earned every promotion she received.
文法句型
the + noun + heap
at the top/bottom of the heap
用法筆記
Almost always appears in the fixed phrases at the top of the heap and at the bottom of the heap. Rarely used outside these patterns.
常見錯誤
heaping — verb
1. to put things on top of each other in an untidy pile or mass, often without much
to put things on top of each other in an untidy pile or mass, often without much care.
The movers heaped the cardboard boxes against the wall of the storage room.
heap + object + against/onto — putting into an untidy pile
Mei-Lin heaped fresh vegetables onto the kitchen counter for the evening soup.
The gardener heaped the grass cuttings into a corner of the yard.
Omar heaped pillows on the sofa to make a comfortable spot for reading.
The children heaped their toys in the middle of the living room floor.
- pile
more neutral; piling can be tidy or untidy, while heaping suggests disorder
- stack
implies careful, neat arrangement; the opposite of heaping's carelessness
- accumulate
formal and suggests gradual build-up rather than a single act of piling
文法句型
heap + object + onto/into + place
heap + object + together/up
用法筆記
Often used with a location phrase (onto, into, on, against) that tells where the items are placed. The past form heaped is far more common than heaping for this sense.
2. to shape something into a rounded, mound-like form, especially when serving food
to shape something into a rounded, mound-like form, especially when serving food or gathering loose material.
The chef heaped the mashed potatoes into a golden mound on each dinner plate.
heap [food] into a mound — shaping food for serving
Diego heaped the rice onto the dish so that it formed a rounded dome.
The baker heaped the flour into a neat mound on the counter before making a well for the eggs.
Elin heaped the snow into a rounded mound and began carving the face of a snowman.
文法句型
heap + object + into + shape
用法筆記
Less common than the general pile-up sense (verb/1). This sense emphasises the resulting rounded shape, not just the gathering of items.
3. to fill or cover a surface, container, or vehicle with a very large amount of so
to fill or cover a surface, container, or vehicle with a very large amount of something, so that it is completely loaded.
The waiter heaped the tray with plates of hot food for the large family table.
heap [container] with [contents] — loading fully
The farmer heaped the cart with hay until it could hold no more.
Grace heaped her plate with salad and roasted vegetables at the buffet.
The market stalls were heaped with colourful fruits and vegetables every morning.
Lukas heaped the wheelbarrow with stones from the garden path.
文法句型
be heaped with + noun
用法筆記
Very common in the passive: the table was heaped with food. The active form (she heaped the tray with…) is also used, but the passive emphasises the abundance of the contents.
常見錯誤
4. to give a lot of something — especially praise, criticism, blame, or gifts — to
to give a lot of something — especially praise, criticism, blame, or gifts — to someone in a generous or abundant way.
The critics heaped praise on the young singer's first album after the concert.
heap praise on [person] — most common collocation for this sense
Zola's grandmother heaped affection on all of her grandchildren during the visit.
The boss heaped blame on the whole team for the failed project launch.
Ananya's supporters heaped gifts and flowers on her after the award ceremony.
The newspapers heaped criticism on the government for its slow response to the flood.
文法句型
heap + praise/criticism/blame + on/upon + person
用法筆記
The objects of heap in this sense are almost always abstract nouns like praise, criticism, blame, scorn, abuse, honours, or concrete nouns like gifts and flowers. The recipient is introduced by on or upon.