umpteenth

adjective

ump·​teenth ˈəm(p)-ˌtēn(t)th 

ˌəm(p)-ˈtēn(t)th

: latest or last in an indefinitely numerous series

Wiping mashed banana out of your toddler's hair for the umpteenth time can be—let's face it—tedious and irritating.

—Bonnie Schiedel

"No," said James, pulling on his umpteenth cigarette …

—Redmond O'Hanlon

… the umpteenth wet and dreary day of a peculiar California winter …

—Jane Fritsch

Did you know?

"I'll go to bed and I'll not get up for umpty-eleven months." You know the feeling. The speaker here is war-weary Bill, a character in Patrick MacGill's early 20th-century novel The Great Push. His "umpty" originated as military slang around 1905 and stood for an indefinite number, generally largish. (It was probably created by analogy to actual numbers such as "twenty.") Soon, there followed "umpteen," blending "umpty" and "-teen." "Umpteen" usually describes an indefinite and large number or amount, while the related "umpteenth" is used for the latest or last in an indefinitely numerous series. We only occasionally use "umpty" these days (and even more rarely "umptieth"), but you're bound to hear or read "umpteen" and "umpteenth" any number of times.

Examples of umpteenth in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

For the umpteenth time, there is no evidence of cheating in the 2020 election. —Bill Goodykoontz, The Arizona Republic, 18 July 2024

Elsewhere on the list, RuPaul’s Drag Race got its umpteenth nomination for best reality competition show and Feud: Capote vs. the Swans netted recognition in several limited series categories. —Samantha Allen, Them, 17 July 2024

But sorry to disappoint everyone at the party today by pointing out for the umpteenth time, that even should this new two-tube tunnel be built and the existing 1910 two tubes be repaired within the $16 billion budget and the 2040 date envisioned by the FTA, there will be no benefit for passengers. —New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 8 July 2024

Those arcs dovetail brilliantly when Larry accepts Mel’s offer to play Max in The Producers on Broadway (alongside a befuddled Ben Stiller, the umpteenth individual who suffers from Larry’s lapses in etiquette) after spying the buxom actress (Cady Huffman) playing Ulla. —Larry Fitzmaurice, Vulture, 8 Apr. 2024

Word History

Etymology

umpteen + -th entry 2

First Known Use

1892, in the meaning defined above