Umpteenth: meaning, definitions and examples

๐Ÿ”„
Add to dictionary

umpteenth

 

[ สŒmหˆpiหnฮธ ]

Adjective
Context #1 | Adjective

countless times

The term 'umpteenth' is used to describe something that has occurred many times, often to the point of being repetitive or tedious. It conveys a sense of frustration or exasperation when something happens in a seemingly endless sequence. Often, it is employed when the exact number of occurrences is unknown or unimportant. This word allows speakers to express the idea of repetition without being overly specific about how many times something has happened.

Synonyms

countless, endless, innumerable, many, repetitive

Examples of usage

  • I've told you for the umpteenth time to clean your room.
  • She missed the bus for the umpteenth time this week.
  • He failed the exam for the umpteenth time, which was disheartening.

Translations

Translations of the word "umpteenth" in other languages:

๐Ÿ‡ต๐Ÿ‡น milรฉsimo

๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ณ เค…เคจเค—เคฟเคจเคค

๐Ÿ‡ฉ๐Ÿ‡ช unzรคhlige

๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ฉ yang tak terhitung

๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ฆ ะฑะตะทะปั–ั‡

๐Ÿ‡ต๐Ÿ‡ฑ n-ty

๐Ÿ‡ฏ๐Ÿ‡ต ็„กๆ•ฐใฎ

๐Ÿ‡ซ๐Ÿ‡ท dizaines

๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ incontables

๐Ÿ‡น๐Ÿ‡ท sayฤฑsฤฑz

๐Ÿ‡ฐ๐Ÿ‡ท ์ˆ˜๋งŽ์€

๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ฆ ู„ุง ุญุตุฑ ู„ู‡

๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ฟ nesฤetnรฉ

๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ฐ nespoฤetnรฉ

๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ณ ๆ— ๆ•ฐ็š„

๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ฎ neลกteto

๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ธ รณteljandi

๐Ÿ‡ฐ๐Ÿ‡ฟ ัะฐะฝัั‹ะท

๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ช แƒ“แƒแƒกแƒแƒ›แƒแƒฎแƒกแƒแƒ•แƒ แƒ”แƒ‘แƒ”แƒšแƒ˜

๐Ÿ‡ฆ๐Ÿ‡ฟ sayฤฑsฤฑz

๐Ÿ‡ฒ๐Ÿ‡ฝ incontables

Etymology

The word 'umpteenth' is a blend of the prefix 'ump', which is derived from 'n-th' in numerals, where 'n' signifies a variable number, and 'teenth', a common suffix in number words like 'sixteen' or 'seventeen'. The term emerged in English in the early 20th century, primarily in American English, to characterize instances where the exact count is irrelevant. It's used humorously or dismissively to indicate that something has happened so many times that itโ€™s almost meaningless. The word reflects cultural attitudes towards repetition, especially in contexts of annoyance or fatigue. In informal language, the term has become a way to express that one is fed up with a recurring event, showcasing the speaker's exasperation with the frequency of the event.

Word Frequency Rank

This word's position of #34,945 indicates it's among the more rare English words. While understanding it broadens your vocabulary, focus on more common words first.