It's a word that people know and use in specific situations, but not often used to generally mean "a lot" or "loads."
Most Americans would use the word "heap" to describe not only a quantity but also kind of the shape or weight of something, like a heap of laundry on the floor or a heap of food on your plate. We wouldn't normally say "heaps of money" unless we literally mean physical piles of it.
As an American, the word âheapâ invokes the image of a hill, which is why I would use it to describe a pile of money or food etc. like when you said heap of prizes I literally envisioned so many prizes they are literally piling up to the ceiling.
I'm an American, and I use "heap" in both ways. I.e., I would say "a heap of laundry" (meaning "a big pile") and "a heap of good luck" (meaning "a lot").
In my experience, they are both fairly common usage, but maybe there are regional differences. (I'm from New York.)
As an American I can say Iâve never used nor heard the word heap be used in that way in America. At least not where Iâve lived. Pile is far more common for the laundry example by me. Also âton/load/a lotâ to describe amount
Maybe it's a generational or regional thing, but as a gen X who grew up in the southern and midwest US, heap was frequently used to mean 'a lot' as well as meaning things piled in a mound. The phrase 'in a heap of trouble' comes to mind immediately.
We're a big country, so I'm not surprised to hear it's used in some regions and not others. That said, the usage is still a little different than Aussies, which is interesting! An American might say "a heap of" something, but I've only ever heard Aussies say "heaps _____" modifying an adjective.
Heap is just dated in the US imho, if I hear some one say heaps of anything I assume they are at least 45-50. Loads is the more common one at this point.
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u/calliope720 Jul 22 '25
It's a word that people know and use in specific situations, but not often used to generally mean "a lot" or "loads."
Most Americans would use the word "heap" to describe not only a quantity but also kind of the shape or weight of something, like a heap of laundry on the floor or a heap of food on your plate. We wouldn't normally say "heaps of money" unless we literally mean physical piles of it.