jillion

American  

[jil-yuhn] / ˈdʒɪl jən /

noun

1. an indefinitely vast number; zillion.

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adjective

1. of or noting such a quantity.

   a jillion problems.

jillion British  

/ ˈdʒɪljən /

noun

1. informal an extremely large number or amount

   jillions of pounds

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Other Word Forms

• jillionth
  noun
• jillionth
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of jillion

First recorded in 1940–45; expressive formation based on million, billion, etc.

Explanation

A jillion is an enormous number of something. If your next door neighbor has too many cats to count, go ahead and say they've got a jillion cats. Similar to words like zillion, tons, or oodles, jillion is perfect for talking about a huge but vague number. It's also hyperbolic — in other words, it's an exaggeration. The word is modeled on actual numbers like million and billion, so it almost sounds like a real quantity. But like zillion, jillion is imprecise. Its origin is vague too, described as an "arbitrary coinage" first used around 1940.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

jillion

Barkley has spent all season breaking tackles for a jillion yards, and there’s no reason to think he won’t do that Sunday.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 8, 2025

It’s not unlike opening your garbage can and taking a big sniff, but multiplied by about one jillion.

From Seattle Times ● Jan. 5, 2024

Each week I read a jillion jokes to find the best material, Deciding which to print with my authority imperial.

From Washington Post ● Feb. 18, 2021

The younger Brant is also remarkable for being about five jillion times more low-key than his two hyper-fashionable half brothers Peter II and Harry.

From New York Times ● Jul. 8, 2015

A jillion little game trails twisted their way through jungles of wild cane and matted masses of elder.

From "Summer of the Monkeys" by Wilson Rawls