umpteen

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 24, 2026 is: umpteen \UMP-teen\ adjective 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. [See the entry >](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/umpteen) Examples: "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](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gazillion) ways in English to refer to a large, indefinite number, but there are definitely more than a [soupçon](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/soupcon). Many of these, such as [zillion](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/zillion), [bazillion](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bazillion), [kazillion](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/kazillion), [jillion](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/jillion), and [bajillion](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/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](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/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](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/umpteenth) ("latest or last in an indefinitely numerous series") any number of times.