Meaning of Idiom ‘Umpteen’
Umpteen is a made-up number that is used to describe an unspecified large amount of something; too many to count; innumerable; plentiful.
Notes on Use
Umpteen is also used as an ordinal number, umpteenth. For example, “For the umpteenth time, we aren’t buying you a car.”
Sentence Examples
“I’ve seen this movie umpteen times and I never get tired of it.”
“I have umpteen errands to run before the day is over and I still have to finish my grant proposal.”
“There are umpteen ways to repair this but the best thing to do is to just replace the entire part.”
“I’ve called him umpteen times and left a lot of messages but he never responds.”
“He’ll ring that bell soon like he’s done every day for the last umpteen years.” — A Raisin in the Sun (1961)
“If I’ve told you once, I’ve told you umpteen times. Keep your trousers tucked in your boots.” — Ratcatcher (1999)
“I thought you lived in the city. It’s like the umpteenth time I’ve seen ya here.” — Chasing Amy (1997)
Origin
Similar to other made-up numbers used to describe indefinite but large amounts, such as gazillion or bazillion, umpteen has been used since around the mid-1800s.