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

Meanwhile, as undeniably gifted as Hopkins is, his performance as William marks the umpteenth time he’s been called upon to elevate material that’s really far beneath his skill level. —Todd Gilchrist, Variety, 20 Mar. 2025

This marks the umpteenth time that lawmakers couldn’t cross the threshold to pass and enact changes to how PBMs do business. —Joshua P. Cohen, Forbes, 18 Mar. 2025

Unable to find the right gear, the Wild finally stalled and got their doors, windows and tires blown off at home for the umpteenth time this season. —Michael Russo, The Athletic, 16 Mar. 2025

For the umpteenth time this season, Bethenny Frankel traded New York’s cold winter weather for a warm beach day in Miami on Monday, March 3. —Maggie Horton, People.com, 9 Mar. 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