heap accolades

USAGE SUMMARY

"heap accolades" is correct and can be used in written English.
You can use it when you want to express abundant praise or admiration for someone or something. Example sentence: His hard work was rewarded with a heap of accolades from his peers.

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

It's a neglect that reflects poorly even on the enclaves of the avant-garde--who have been quick to heap accolades on contemporary artist Kara Walker for making hugely elaborate installations lampooning the sentimentalization of antebellum slave culture in novels, drama, and the kitch pictures that for decades titillated white audiences.

Huffington Post

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

57 human-written examples

With heaps of accolades, including a James Beard Outstanding Chef Award this year, Mr. Humm could coast for a few more years.

The New York Times - Food

Besides heaping immense accolades on a small number of champions, tournament markets share another feature.

Science Magazine

In contrast to Homer's reaction, most physicists heap nothing but accolades upon Bohr, whose revolutionary ideas shaped the modern concept of the atom".

Wikipedia

That author is Fred Vargas, and she thoroughly deserves all the accolades heaped upon her.

The Guardian - Books

But politically, Mr. McCain risks looking like an eager cheerleader if he heaps too many accolades on General Petraeus.

The New York Times

What's interesting about the accolades heaped on the current, 68-year-old Mayor Daley by these three is the history.

The New York Times

"My theory is that Norwegians are almost embarrassed by the accolades heaped on their society," she said, explaining that the books may be a way of owning up to national problems and secrets.

The New York Times - Books

Boldly opening with the challenging traditional song Willie O'Winsbury is evidence that with enough conviction audiences will follow and, given the accolades heaped on last year's wondrous Child Ballads album, why wouldn't they?

The Guardian - Music

Ms Fisher thinks she can lure most visiting productions up to the colonial splendour and relative luxury of San Miguel.Her timing could also be opportune, because despite the many accolades heaped on recent Mexican productions, the public funding of the old Churubusco studios and government film school in Mexico City is being reviewed by the country's cash-strapped finance ministry.

The Economist

This question, so urgent to women writers, so tedious to male editors and pundits, is getting its latest workout thanks to the vigorous tweeting of bestselling popular novelists Jennifer Weiner and Jodi Picoult about the accolades heaped on Jonathan Franzen's new novel, Freedom.

The Guardian - Opinion

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "heap accolades" when you want to emphasize the abundance and generosity of the praise given. It suggests that the person or thing being praised has received a great deal of recognition.

Common error

Avoid using "heap accolades" interchangeably with phrases like "give compliments". "Heap accolades" suggests a more significant and formal recognition than simple compliments.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "heap accolades" functions as a verb phrase, where "heap" acts as a transitive verb meaning to bestow something in large quantity, and "accolades" serves as the direct object, representing the praise or honors being bestowed. Ludwig AI confirms its correct usage.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

75%

Wiki

10%

Science

5%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

3%

Formal & Business

3%

Reference

1%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "heap accolades" is a grammatically correct verb phrase used to describe the act of bestowing significant praise or recognition. According to Ludwig AI, the expression is valid in written English and suitable for expressing abundant praise or admiration. While less frequent in everyday conversation, it is commonly found in news and media contexts, with a neutral to formal register. To ensure proper usage, remember that "heap accolades" implies a substantial amount of praise and is best used in situations where significant recognition is warranted. When using the term, keep in mind that some good alternatives are shower with praise, lavish praise on, and bestow honors upon, which may slightly change the tone or the emphasis of the phrase.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

heap praise and honor

Adds "honor" to "praise", emphasizing both admiration and respect.

shower with praise

Replaces "accolades" with "praise" and "heap" with "shower", emphasizing the abundance of praise.

lavish praise on

Uses "lavish praise" instead of "heap accolades", highlighting the generous nature of the praise.

bestow honors upon

Substitutes "accolades" with "honors" and uses a more formal verb, "bestow", to indicate giving respect.

give high praise

A simpler way of expressing strong approval or admiration.

sing the praises of

Uses a metaphorical expression to describe enthusiastically praising someone or something.

pay tribute to

Focuses on showing respect and admiration, often in a formal setting.

extol the virtues of

Highlights the good qualities or merits of someone or something in a laudatory way.

commend highly

Uses a more formal verb, "commend", to express approval or praise.

applaud enthusiastically

Focuses on the act of showing approval through applause or other forms of enthusiastic support.

FAQs

How can I use "heap accolades" in a sentence?

You can use "heap accolades" to describe the act of giving someone a lot of praise or recognition. For example: "The critics "showered the film with praise", "heaping accolades" on the director and cast".

What are some alternatives to saying "heap accolades"?

Alternatives to "heap accolades" include phrases like "shower with praise", "lavish praise on", or "bestow honors upon" depending on the context.

Is "heap accolades" formal or informal?

"Heap accolades" has a slightly formal tone, suggesting significant and abundant praise. It's suitable for news articles, formal speeches, or academic writing, but might sound overly grandiose in casual conversation.

Which is more appropriate: "heap accolades on" or "heap accolades to"?

The correct preposition to use with "heap accolades" is "on". For example, "They "heaped praises" on the team for their victory" is correct, while "They heaped accolades to the team" is grammatically incorrect.