pile
gb/pˈaɪl/ us/pˈaɪl/
A2
English
~ 1200
halom, kupac, halomba rak, egymásra rak, egy vagyon, bezsúfolódik, betódul, zsúfolódik, cölöp
NOUN
A2
1
Usage pattern:
a pile of [things]
There was a pile of dirty laundry in the corner.
A sarokban egy halom szennyes volt.
She left a pile of papers on the desk.
Egy halom papírt hagyott az íróasztalon.
We found a pile of leaves in the backyard.
The kids made a pile of pillows to jump into.
Learner examples
There is a pile of books on the table.
Egy halom könyv van az asztalon.
I put my clothes in a pile.
A ruháimat egy halomba tettem.
The leaves are in a big pile.
The toys are in a pile on the floor.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'pile' with 'stack'; 'stack' usually means things are arranged neatly.
Meaning
Stack or heap of things
Collocations
pile of clothes
|pile of books
|neat pile
|huge pile
|stack in a pile
Synonyms
heap (Slightly more informal, often used for messy arrangements.)
Antonyms
stack (Implies a neater, more organized arrangement.)
Themes
daily life
|objects
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Definition
A group of things lying on top of each other.
A collection of objects placed one on top of another, often in a messy or informal arrangement.
VERB
A2
2
halomba rak
B1
egymásra rak
A2
Usage pattern:
to pile [things] [somewhere]
They piled the books on the table.
Az asztalra halmozták a könyveket.
Snow was piled against the wall.
A hó felhalmozódott a fal mellett.
We piled our bags by the door.
She piled her hair on top of her head.
Learner examples
He piled the plates on the table.
Az asztalon egymásra rakta a tányérokat.
I piled the clothes on the chair.
A ruhákat a székre halmoztam.
We piled the boxes in the garage.
They piled the wood in the yard.
Common mistake:
Learners may use 'pile' without specifying where items are placed, which can make sentences unclear.
Meaning
To stack or heap items
Collocations
pile up boxes
|pile clothes on the bed
|pile logs neatly
Synonyms
stack (Implies more order and neatness than 'pile'.)
Antonyms
scatter (Means to spread items apart instead of grouping them together.)
Themes
daily life
|actions
|daily_life
|work
|core_vocabulary
Definition
To put things in a group, one on top of another.
To place objects into a heap or stack, usually in a way that they rest on top of each other.
NOUN
B2
INFORMAL
3
egy vagyon
B1
He made a pile selling real estate.
Egy vagyont keresett ingatlanok eladásával.
That painting is worth a pile.
Az a festmény egy vagyont ér.
She inherited quite a pile from her uncle.
Learner examples
He made a pile from his business.
Egy vagyont keresett a vállalkozásával.
That house cost a pile.
Az a ház egy vagyonba került.
She has a pile from her job.
Common mistake:
Some learners may confuse this with 'pile' meaning stack, but here it refers to money.
Meaning
Large amount of money
Collocations
make a pile
|worth a pile
Synonyms
fortune (Often more formal and emphasizes wealth over time.)
Antonyms
pittance (Means a very small amount of money.)
Themes
money
|informal speech
|finance
|core_vocabulary
Definition
A lot of money or valuable things.
A large sum of money or valuable possessions.
VERB
B1
INFORMAL
4
Usage pattern:
pile into [vehicle/place]
We all piled into the taxi.
Mindannyian bezsúfolódtunk a taxiba.
The kids piled onto the couch to watch TV.
A gyerekek mind a kanapéra zsúfolódtak, hogy tévét nézzenek.
Fans piled into the stadium when the gates opened.
Learner examples
We piled into the bus.
Bezsúfolódtunk a buszba.
The children piled into the room.
A gyerekek betódultak a szobába.
They piled onto the sofa.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use 'pile' alone without 'into' or 'onto', which changes the meaning.
Meaning
Enter or climb in as group
Collocations
pile into the car
|pile onto the bus
Synonyms
crowd into (More neutral; doesn't imply speed or informality as strongly.)
Antonyms
exit one by one (Describes leaving slowly and individually rather than entering quickly together.)
Themes
movement
|daily life
|transportation
|travel
Definition
To go into something quickly with other people.
To move quickly together into or onto something, especially a vehicle or small space.
NOUN
B2
TECHNICAL
5
cölöp
C1
The foundation is supported by steel piles.
Az alapozást acélcölöpök támasztják alá.
Workers drove piles deep into the riverbed.
A munkások cölöpöket vertek le mélyen a folyómederbe.
The bridge rests on reinforced concrete piles.
Learner examples
The house is built on piles.
A ház cölöpökre épült.
They use piles to hold up the bridge.
A híd megtámasztására cölöpöket használnak.
Piles support the building.
Meaning
Long post for structural support
Collocations
concrete pile
|driven pile
Synonyms
pillar (General term for an upright support; not always driven into ground.)
Antonyms
beam (Horizontal structural element rather than vertical.)
Themes
construction
|engineering
|housing
|work
Definition
A strong post put in the ground to hold up a building or bridge.
A long, heavy post driven into the ground to support a structure such as a building or bridge.
Grammar
Dictionary form
pile
IPA
GB/pˈaɪl/
US/pˈaɪl/
Syllables & stress
pile (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (pile)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: pile
- Plural: pile, piles
Verb
- Base: pile
- 3rd Person Singular: piles
- Present Participle: piling
- Past: piled
Word family
Forms
piles
noun
piling
verb
piled
verb
Related words
pile-up
noun
Expressions
a pile of
1/ə pˈaɪl əv/
fixed phrase
Large quantity of something informal
A lot of something, not counted exactly.
Examples
- I have a pile of homework to do tonight.
- There’s a pile of dishes in the sink.
pile into
1/pˈaɪl ˈɪntu/
phrasal verb
informal
Enter quickly as group
To go quickly into something with other people.
Examples
- Everyone piled into the car for the road trip.
- The students piled into the classroom when the bell rang.
pile on
1/pˈaɪl ˈɔn/
phrasal verb
informal
Add more quickly, especially pressure or criticism
To add more to something, often making it worse for someone.
Examples
- The media kept piling on after his mistake.
- She piled on more blankets when it got cold.
pile up
1/pˈaɪl ˈʌp/
phrasal verb
Accumulate or increase over time
To become more and more over time, often making trouble or work.
Examples
- Work keeps piling up on my desk.
- Traffic is piling up because of the accident.