umpteen
Americanadjective
determiner
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of umpteen
1915–20; ump(ty) , fanciful designation for an indeterminate number (with -ty as in twenty, etc.) + -teen
Explanation
Use this informal word when you want to emphasize a large but vague quantity. If you get umpteen text messages from your friend reminding you to return the sweatshirt you borrowed, you know she really wants it back. Use umpteen when you have so many of something that it's not even worth counting them. It's kind of like saying "a zillion." If the smell of your dirty gym clothes is wafting into the hallway, your parents might complain, "We have told you umpteen times to clean up your room!" Umpteen started as World War I Army slang, from umpty which means either "of an indefinite number" or "dash" in Morse code.
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.
Today you can go online and find umpteen pairs talking about movies, maybe even arguing about them.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 23, 2023
I mean, I didn't even know what a Kardashian was for umpteen years, and I led a blessed existence until someone finally, I said, "What's a Kardashian?"
From Salon ● Jul. 19, 2023
But after what felt like umpteen delays, pitch inspections and warm-ups, the game eventually restarted in front of a patient home crowd that stuck with their team every step of the way.
From BBC ● Jun. 20, 2023
Companies often prefer to unveil new models on their own, often with an online component, without the expense of a large auto show stand or putting their product next to umpteen competitors.
From Seattle Times ● Oct. 18, 2022
And if you do, she always says the same thing: “Let’s eat umpteen cookies.”
From "Goodbye Stranger" by Rebecca Stead
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
