deal and pile share a recorded sense, so the question is not what they mean but which one fits. deal means “act on verbally or in some form of artistic expression”. pile means “a collection of objects laid on top of each other”. deal is the more common of the two in everyday English.
/ˈdil/
1.v.act on verbally or in some form of artistic expression
“This book deals with incest”
2.v.take into consideration for exemplifying purposes
“Take the case of China”
3.v.take action with respect to (someone or something)
“How are we going to deal with this problem?”
/ˈpaɪl/
1.n.a collection of objects laid on top of each other
2.n.(often followed by `of') a large number or amount or extent
“a batch of letters”
3.n.a large sum of money (especially as pay or profit)
“she made a bundle selling real estate”
| deal | pile | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /ˈdil/ | /ˈpaɪl/ |
| Said | deel | pahyl |
| Syllables | 1 | 1 |
| Letters | 4 | 4 |
| Parts of speech | verb, noun | noun, verb |
| Senses | 22 | 11 |
| How common | Core | Common |
| Synonyms | cover, treat, handle | heap, mound, agglomerate |
Full entry for deal · Full entry for pile · More comparisons