heaps

heaps
heaps

• There was heaps of time —Mary Wesley, 1983

represents the normal colloquial idiom when the word following heaps of is a singular or mass noun (and the same is true of loads of, lots of, masses of, and similar expressions). But when the following noun is plural the verb should be plural too:

• Heaps of bands are doing this stuff —X-Press Online, AusE 2004.

Note that heaps is plural in all cases when it is being used literally rather than idiomatically:

• Great heaps of cumulo-nimbus cloud were boiling up —Dick Francis, 1970

• Massive heaps of junk were collected in the harbor —Environmental History, AmE 2004 [OEC].


Modern English usage. 2014.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • heaps — n. a large quantity. See {heap}, senses 2 and 3; as, he made heaps of money in the stock market. Syn: tons, dozens, lots, piles, scores, stacks, loads, rafts, slews, wads, oodles, gobs, scads, lashings. [WordNet 1.5] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • heaps — I Australian Slang 1. a lot: Thanks heaps , (S)he earned heaps of money ; 2. extremely: I will be heaps grateful ; heaps curious ; heaps barro II Kiwi (New Zealand Slang) general expression to mean a lot, as in miss you heaps , or try hard; give… …   English dialects glossary

  • Heaps — 1. a lot: Thanks heaps , (S)he earned heaps of money ; 2. extremely: I will be heaps grateful ; heaps curious ; heaps barro …   Dictionary of Australian slang

  • heaps — I noun a large number or amount made lots of new friends she amassed stacks of newspapers • Syn: ↑tons, ↑dozens, ↑lots, ↑piles, ↑scores, ↑ …   Useful english dictionary

  • Heaps — This unusual name is of Anglo Saxon origin; it is found chiefly in Lancashire and the northern counties of England, and may be either a locational or a topographical surname. If the former, the name derives from the place called Heap (Bridge),… …   Surnames reference

  • heaps — general expression to mean a lot, as in miss you heaps , or try hard; give it heaps …   Kiwi (New Zealand slang)

  • heaps — noun A large amount. And heaps of objections, all of them involving countless difficulties, are going to face anyone who says either that being is some two things or that it is only one …   Wiktionary

  • heaps — See lots, heaps …   Dictionary of problem words and expressions

  • heaps — adverb heaps better/bigger etc informal much better, bigger etc …   Longman dictionary of contemporary English

  • heaps — UK [hiːps] / US [hɪps] adverb British informal much I feel heaps better today …   English dictionary

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