1 B1 neutral
To gather or put things together into a large, untidy mound or pile.
"The children heaped up all the autumn leaves into a giant pile before jumping in."
separable
heap up
B2 neutral separable transitive/intransitive
To gather or accumulate things into a large, often disorganised pile.
In plain English
To put lots of things together in a big messy pile.
What does "heap up" mean?
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B2 idiomatic neutral
To accumulate something in large quantities, often to an excessive or problematic degree.
"He had heaped up so many unpaid bills that he didn't know where to start."
separable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To heap (pile loosely) things upward into a mound.
Actually means
To put lots of things together in a big messy pile.
Usage tip
Can be used literally (heaping sand or leaves) or figuratively (heaping up problems or debt). The figurative use suggests an accumulation that becomes unwieldy or problematic. Less common than 'pile up' in everyday speech.
Words that pair with "heap up"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
snow leaves debt problems rubbish food
How to conjugate "heap up"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
heap up
I/you/we/they
3rd person
heaps up
he/she/it
Past simple
heaped up
yesterday
Past participle
heaped up
have + pp
-ing form
heaping up
continuous
Hear "heap up" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "heap up" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
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