heaps of

IPA/hˈiːps ɒv/
IPA/hˈiːps ʌv/

heaps of — determiner

1. a very large quantity of something, often more than you expect or need

1.determinerB1
Definition

a very large quantity of something, often more than you expect or need

Example

The charity received heaps of clothes and toys after the appeal on television.

heaps of + plural noun (clothes and toys)

Quan always brings heaps of snacks to share with his classmates during break.

Common collocations
  • heaps of + food
  • heaps of + time
  • heaps of + money
  • heaps of + fun
Synonyms
  • a lot of

    neutral in register; works in both speech and most writing

  • plenty of

    suggests enough or more than enough, similar informality to 'heaps of'

  • loads of

    equally informal, very common in British English conversation

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

heaps of + noun

heaps of + plural noun

heaps of + uncountable noun

Usage Note

Used mainly in spoken English and informal writing. In formal contexts, prefer 'a large amount of', 'a great deal of', or 'a considerable number of'. Works with both countable nouns (heaps of books) and uncountable nouns (heaps of time). Do not confuse with the literal meaning of 'heap' meaning a pile.

Common Mistakes

There is heaps of books on the shelf.
There are heaps of books on the shelf.
With a plural noun, the verb must be plural to match grammatically.

⚠️ 'There is heaps of food left.' — After an uncountable noun, 'there is' is widely used in everyday speech, even though 'there are' is the formal grammatical choice.

I have heaps works to do.
I have heaps of work to do.
Do not drop the preposition 'of' after 'heaps'.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: determiner/1

'Heaps of' is an informal quantity expression common in everyday conversation, similar to 'loads of'. 'A lot of' is the neutral, all-purpose choice that works in speech and most writing. 'Plenty of' implies having enough or more than enough, with a slightly positive tone. 'A great deal of' is the most formal and is restricted to uncountable nouns in written English. For example, you would say 'I have heaps of homework' to a friend, but write 'The project required a great deal of research' in an academic essay.

a lot of ↗plenty ofloads ofa great deal of ↗

Etymology

Old English (héap)English (heaps of → figurative 'a lot of')

Derived from the literal word 'heap' (a pile of things), the plural form 'heaps' developed a figurative meaning of 'a large amount' in informal English from the 1800s onwards. The expression 'heaps of' first appeared in colloquial British and Australian English and later spread to other varieties.