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pile
make a pile
To earn a very large amount of money, especially by doing something very successfully. We'll make a pile if we can manage to secure a trading partner in China. I hear Sarah is making a pile with sales from her latest novel.
pile on the pounds
To put on weight quickly, especially a large or excessive amount. Wow, Jim really piled on the pounds on while he was on his sabbatical. I'm trying to pile on the pounds so I can make it on the football team this fall!
pile Pelion on Ossa
1. To further complicate something that is already tedious or challenging. Ossa and Pelion are two mountains in Greece. A: "I told Becky you would pick her up." B: "I already have so much to do today—quit piling Pelion on Ossa!" Just when I thought I was almost done sorting these files, my boss piled Pelion on Ossa and brought me another box of them.
2. To do something that seems futile. I know that I'm just piling Pelion on Ossa by telling you to stay away from that boy, but I'm your father, and I don't want to see you get hurt. That couch will never fit up the steps—tell them to stop piling Pelion on Ossa!
at the bottom of the heap
In the worst or lowest position in a group. As far as our government is concerned, kids born into poverty are just at the bottom of the heap, perpetually ignored.
make a bundle
and make a pileto make a lot of money. John really made a bundle on that deal. I'd like to make a pile and retire.
pile in(to something)
to climb in or get in roughly. Okay, kids, pile in! The children piled into the car and slammed the door.
pile off (something)
to get down off something; to clamber down off something. All the kids piled off the wagon and ran into the barn. She stopped the wagon, and they piled off.
pile on(to) (someone or something)
to make a heap of people on someone or something. The football players piled onto the poor guy holding the ball. They ran up to the ball carrier and piled on.
pile out (of something)
[for many people] to get out of something roughly. Okay, kids, pile out! The car door burst open, and the children piled out.
pile someone into something
and pile someone into bunch people into something in a disorderly fashion. She piled the kids into the van and headed off for school. She piled in the kids and closed the doors. Pile them in and let's go. They piled themselves into the car and sped off.
pile someone or something on(to) someone or something
and pile someone or something onto heap people or things onto someone or something. The wrestler piled the referee onto his unconscious opponent. We piled the kids on the heap of leaves we had raked up. Pile on the chili! What's a hot dog without chili?
pile something up
1. to crash or wreck something. Drive carefully if you don't want to pile the car up. The driver piled up the car against a tree.
2. to make something into a heap. Carl piled all the leaves up and set them afire. Please pile up the leaves.
pile the work on (someone)
Fig. to give someone a lot of work to do. The boss really piled the work on me this week. The boss piled on the work this week.
pile up
1. Lit. [for things] to gather or accumulate. The newspapers began to pile up after a few days. Work is really piling up around here.
2. Fig. [for a number of vehicles] to crash together. Nearly twenty cars piled up on the bridge this morning.
the bottom of the heap
also the bottom of the pile the lowest rank within a group Being near the bottom of the heap, the company has nowhere to go but up. Those at the bottom of the heap feel that no one cares about them.
Opposite of: the top of the heappile up something
also pile something up to increase something
Many civilians were killed - the evidence continues to pile up. The company piled up hundreds of millions of dollars of losses over the last year. Usage notes: usually used in passive forms: Earnings began piling up from the sale of the new switches.
at the bottom of the heap/pile
in a worse situation than anyone else in a group of people Those at the bottom of the heap feel that society has failed them. The homeless are at the bottom of the pile with little hope of improving their situation.
pile it/them high and sell it/them cheap
(mainly British) to sell large amounts of something at cheap prices The shops at the lower end of the clothing market have survived by piling it high and selling it cheap.
pile on the agony
(British & Australian informal) to try to get sympathy from other people by making your problems seem worse than they really are (usually in continuous tenses) He was really piling on the agony, saying he was heart-broken and hadn't got anything left to live for.
make a bundle
Also, make a pile. Make a great deal of money, as in When the market went up they made a bundle, or He made a pile from that department store. The first term, dating from about 1900, comes from the somewhat earlier use of bundle for a roll of banknotes. The variant, alluding to a heap of money, was first recorded in 1864.
pile into
Move in a disorderly group into, crowd into, as in The team piled into the bus. The related expression pile in takes no object, as in Jack opened the car door and yelled, "Pile in!" [First half of 1800s]
pile up
1. Accumulate, as in The leaves piled up in the yard, or He piled up a huge fortune. In this idiom pile means "form a heap or mass of something." [Mid-1800s]
2. Be involved in a crash, as in When the police arrived, at least four cars had piled up. [Late 1800s]
pile in
v.1. To enter something or some place in a disorderly mass or group: All six of us piled in the car. The subway doors opened and the passengers piled in.
2. To move some people into something or some place in a disorderly fashion: Pile the kids in the van and let's go. I opened the cellar door and piled the logs in. The truck is full and I don't think we can pile in any more rugs.
pile out
v. To exit something or some place in a disorderly mass or group: When we reached the store, the kids piled out of the van. I opened the door and the crowd piled out.
pile up
v.1. To arrange something into a pile: We piled up the firewood in the garage. I piled the dirty dishes up in the sink.
2. To accumulate: My bills piled up while I was in the hospital.
3. To cause something to accumulate: The company is piling up debt with its risky investments. The team piled 40 points up in the first half of the game.
4. To crash into each other; collide. Used especially of vehicles: Because of the thick fog, dozens of cars piled up on the freeway.
make a bundle
and make a pile tv. to make a lot of money. (see also
bundle.)
She made a bundle on a website investment. I want to buy a few stocks and make a pile in a few years. make a pile
verbpile
n. a large amount of money. That old lady has a pile stashed in the bank.
pile of shit
1. n. a mass of lies. (Refers to bullshit. Usually objectionable.) He came in and told me this great pile of shit about how his alarm clock was in the shop.
2. n. any worthless structure or device. (Usually objectionable.) Take this pile of shit back where you bought it and get your money back.
3. n. a totally worthless person. (Rude and derogatory.) Todd, you are the biggest pile of shit I’ve ever seen.
Common Names:
| Name | Gender | Pronounced | Usage |
|---|
| Nea | | - | Swedish |
| Erma | | UR-mə | English |
| Erin | | ER-in | English, Irish |
| Clemente | | kle-MEN-te (Italian, Spanish) | Italian, Spanish, Portuguese |
| SÁRika | | - | Hungarian |
| Fryderyka | | fri-de-RI-kah | Polish |