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.
Black and Indigenous Americans, labor organizers, immigrants, queer people, political dissidents, abuse survivors, and countless others have discovered that rights celebrated in the abstract can evaporate when exercised against the wrong forces.
From Slate • Jun. 4, 2026
There were countless families gathered there, some clearly after a morning of worship, ready to have a different kind of communion over food.
From Salon • Jun. 3, 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
While rival fans may focus on his miss in Budapest, Arsenal supporters will remember the countless occasions he delivered for his side, including a dramatic 96th-minute winner against Newcastle United in September.
From BBC • May 30, 2026
She could hardly remember the countless ideas that used to spin in her mind as she washed clothes or chopped vegetables.
From "Rickshaw Girl" by Mitali Perkins
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.
