umpteen

[ uhmp-teen ]

adjective

, Informal.

1. innumerable; many.

umpteen

/ ˌʌmpˈtiːn /

determiner

1. informal.
   1. very many

      umpteen things to do

   2. ( as pronoun )

      umpteen of them came

Derived Forms

• ˌumpˈteenth, nounadjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of umpteen¹

1915–20; ump(ty) , fanciful designation for an indeterminate number (with -ty as in twenty, etc.) + -teen

Word History and Origins

Origin of umpteen¹

C20: from umpty a great deal (perhaps from -enty as in twenty ) + -teen ten

Example Sentences

In four previous lessons over the past decade-plus, I’d managed umpteen wipeouts and a brief half-second of nearly standing upright.

From Washington Post

Go back and listen to Taylor Swift’s “Bad Blood,” or Tove Lo’s “Talking Body,” or Ellie Goulding’s “Around U,” or Daya’s “Hide Away,” or Selena Gomez’s “Sober,” or umpteen others that each seemed to be shouting for our attention.

From Washington Post

Fifty states, umpteen localities, all of them with different rules not only about the rate of tax, but which items are exempt.

From The Daily Beast

And predictably Clinton found umpteen opportunities to brag about himself, his initiatives, his wife, his record in office.

From The Daily Beast

I got home at 1:30 AM and there were umpteen frantic messages from my friends.

From The Daily Beast

I've made my fortune three times over, and I've got umpteen thousands more than I need for myself or Mothereen.

From Project Gutenberg

We dug, if you please, into an old city, and broke into tombs umpteen thousand years old.

From Project Gutenberg

Zeligs of umpteen disguises and ever changing, shimmering loyalties.

From Project Gutenberg

Inherited umpteen million bucks, and plays around all the time.

From Project Gutenberg

And at that it's five o'clock before I'm landed at a little flag station umpteen miles beyond nowhere.

From Project Gutenberg