countless
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of countless
Explanation
Countless means more than you could possibly count. If you have countless reasons why you love living in New York, there are so many reasons that you can't list them all. Countless is a good adjective to use when you want to emphasize how endless, huge, or immeasurable something is. Your could say that smoke detectors save countless lives each year, or that your principal has tried countless times to ban soda at school, only to be outvoted by the student council over and over. The word dates from the 16th century, from the verb count, with its Old French root, conter, "add up."
Vocabulary lists containing countless
Much Ado: Synonyms for "Many"
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Talk Like Shakespeare Day, List 6
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"Dogs at Work"
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
There are countless cricketers who do not drink at all, and many more professional athletes from other sports who never touch a drop.
From BBC • Jun. 9, 2026
After submitting countless applications, the 22-year-old found work as an insurance-claims adjuster in Chennai.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 7, 2026
Anticipation was mounting ahead of the listing, as evidenced by countless news reports and swirling speculation last year.
From Barron's • Jun. 5, 2026
They care for aging parents, support loved ones with disabilities, raise children and manage the countless responsibilities that come with being a family caregiver.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 2, 2026
Organizations and researchers have produced countless studies on the arts’ effectiveness and ability to engage children cognitively, emotionally, physically, and artistically: in other words, on a holistic level.
From "Music and the Child" by Natalie Sarrazin
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
