WORD OF THE DAY: UMPTEEN
adjective UMP-teen
What It Means
Umpteen is an informal adjective meaning “very many” or “indefinitely numerous.”
// The artist has painted the same subject umpteen times, yet each piece has its own unique quality.
Umpteen in Context
“The life of a showgirl often includes umpteen costume changes, elaborate props and copious amounts of hairspray.” – The Economist, 4 Oct. 2025
Did You Know?
There may not be a gazillion ways in English to refer to a large, indefinite number, but there are definitely more than a soupçon. Many of these, such as zillion, bazillion, kazillion, jillion, and bajillion, start with -illion (as in million) and add a satisfying consonant or syllable in front for some extra oomph. The adjective umpteen does the same for -teen, with the oomph provided by the ump in umpty. Umpty, an adjective meaning “such and such” (as in “umpty percent” or “umpty-four”) arose, like umpteen, in the latter half of the 1800s. We only occasionally use umpty these days, but you’re bound to hear or read umpteen and umpteenth (“latest or last in an indefinitely numerous series”) any number of times.
Merriam Webster Dictionary
