mountains of refuse

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "mountains of refuse" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe a large quantity of waste or garbage, often in a metaphorical sense to emphasize the overwhelming amount. Example: "After the festival, the park was left with mountains of refuse that took days to clean up."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

3 human-written examples

Dr. Nagle, 52, knows firsthand what it is like to haul away mountains of refuse.

The New York Times

After being elected mayor in 1994 on Mr Erbakan's ticket, he sought to help the poor and relieved the city of 12m-plus from chronic drought, mountains of refuse and rampant crime.

The Economist

SHANGHAI, March 28 — Song Tiping, a peasant from rural Jiangsu Province, and Bernie Keansley-prAustralianstralian executive, would not at first glance seem to have much in common, and they do not, except for one thing: both were drawn here by the unlikely financial promise of garbage, towering mountains of refuse that attest to this city's status as a raging boomtown.

The New York Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

57 human-written examples

Trabelsi looks at the mountain of refuse that dominates the landscape for miles.

The Guardian

The sun rises, the swallows return to Capistrano and our moldering mountain of refuse grows higher.

The New York Times

The moon struggled in its straitjacket: a tremor like that of an earthquake caused avalanches of empty cans to slide down from the mountain of refuse.

The New Yorker

A landslide at another Manila rubbish dump on July 10th, however, was a deadly reminder that eradicating the symbols of poverty does not eradicate poverty itself.Weakened by days of heavy rain, the side of a mountain of refuse at the Payatas dump gave way, burying a scavengers' shanty town at the foot of the slope.

The Economist

After years of planning and politicking, New York City took its first formal step yesterday into a future after the Fresh Kills Landfill, when the City Council overwhelmingly approved a long-term plan to deal with the city's daily mountain of refuse through at least the opening decades of the new century.

The New York Times

It's a mountain of festering refuse, a half-hour hike across, emitting clouds of smoke from subterranean fires.

The New York Times

Loosened by a week of monsoon rains, the huge garbage mountain here -- the symbol of the nation's poverty -- had collapsed and smothered hundreds of squatters who made their livings picking through it with metal hooks for scraps of refuse.

The New York Times

Botros, a dandified intellectual determined to bring enlightenment to his corner of the mountains, scandalously refuses to have his children baptized, sets up a "Universal School" and roams his village bareheaded in a suit and cape, while Gebrayel establishes a successful retail business in Havana, only to die there under tragic circumstances.

The New York Times - Books

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "mountains of refuse" to vividly describe a very large accumulation of garbage, especially when emphasizing the scale of the problem. It is effective in both descriptive and metaphorical contexts.

Common error

Avoid using "mountains of refuse" in highly formal or technical writing. Opt for more neutral terms like "large quantities of waste" or "significant accumulations of debris" in those settings.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "mountains of refuse" primarily functions as a noun phrase, often serving as the object of a verb or preposition. It's used to describe a large quantity of waste. Ludwig AI confirms its correct and usable nature in written English.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

100%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Science

0%

Formal & Business

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "mountains of refuse" is a noun phrase used to vividly describe a substantial amount of waste. Ludwig AI confirms its grammatical correctness and suitability for general use. While primarily found in news and media contexts, it may be too informal for technical or highly formal writing where alternatives like "vast quantities of waste" might be more appropriate. The phrase effectively conveys the scale of waste accumulation and its associated environmental concerns. The most frequent sources that employ this phrase are authoritative news sources like The New York Times and The Guardian, further solidifying its reliability. The alternate phrases include "piles of garbage" and "heaps of waste".

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

towering piles of garbage

Combines "piles of garbage" with the adjective "towering" for emphasis.

garbage mountains

Inverts the phrase structure while retaining the core meaning.

waste mountains

Similar to "garbage mountains", but using the word "waste" instead.

piles of garbage

Replaces "mountains" with "piles", a more common and less dramatic term for large accumulations.

heaps of waste

Substitutes "mountains" with "heaps" and "refuse" with "waste", offering a slightly less descriptive alternative.

vast quantities of trash

Uses more formal language to convey a large amount of garbage.

extensive deposits of refuse

Replaces "mountains" with "extensive deposits" and maintains a formal tone.

immense accumulations of debris

Employs more formal and descriptive language, suitable for academic or scientific contexts.

massive amounts of litter

Focuses on the scattered nature of waste, often associated with public spaces.

tons of rubbish

Uses a more direct and less figurative expression.

FAQs

What does "mountains of refuse" mean?

The phrase "mountains of refuse" refers to a very large accumulation of waste or garbage, often used to emphasize the scale of the problem.

What can I say instead of "mountains of refuse"?

You can use alternatives like "piles of garbage", "heaps of waste", or "vast quantities of trash" depending on the context.

Is "mountains of refuse" a formal or informal phrase?

"Mountains of refuse" is suitable for general and descriptive contexts, but may be too informal for technical or highly formal writing. In these cases, consider "immense accumulations of debris".

How can I use "mountains of refuse" in a sentence?

You can use "mountains of refuse" to describe a literal accumulation of garbage, as in, "After the festival, there were mountains of refuse left in the park." It can also be used metaphorically, as in, "The project generated mountains of refuse in the form of useless reports."