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

Many in Hollywood were dubious as to whether Universal and Amblin’s 2025 summer tentpole Jurassic World Rebirth — the umpteenth reboot of the franchise featuring a whole new cast — would work. —Pamela McClintock, HollywoodReporter, 10 Aug. 2025

So, instead of asking them for the umpteenth time or trying to subtly stalk their LinkedIn page, make a note of it in your phone. —Cody Godwin, USA Today, 29 July 2025

The movie climaxes with the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s umpteenth battle of New York, albeit this time set in an alternate universe. —Siddhant Adlakha, Vulture, 24 July 2025

On the latest episode, which aired Monday night (July 21), Chantel — who officially joined the cast full-time this season — attempted for what felt like the umpteenth time to have a real conversation with her mother about their past issues. —Amber Corrine, VIBE.com, 22 July 2025

Word History

Etymology

umpteen + -th entry 2

First Known Use

1892, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for umpteenth

• eighteenth
• fifteenth
• fourteenth
• nineteenth
• sixteenth
• thirteenth
• seventeenth