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billion

billion

32 2.5
A very large, not exact number used to say there are many
  • noun
  • /ˈbɪljən/
  • Informal
: un montón
  • Give me a break and a billion dollars.
  • billions of people

Billions and billions of dollars, billions and billions of users.

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Examples

  • Now think about billions of dollars, right?

  • I mean that's costing literally billions and billions of pounds a year.

  • This is the way it's been done for billions of years.

  • Facebook is selling billions of dollars of stuff per month.

  • She has to be getting like a billion views a month.

  • These contracts cost countries around the world billions and billions of dollars.

  • Certainly, it runs into the billions of dollars, and perhaps the trillions.

    Academic text (1993)
  • Billions and billions of dollars, billions and billions of users.

  • Ford and GM are saying it's going to cost billions of dollars this year.

  • I wish I had a billion dollars to travel the world.

Synonyms

million
vsbillion
  • Informal
836 1.0

A very large number used to mean a lot without an exact count

is informal hyperbole rather than a literal, exact quantity
tons
vsbillion
  • Informal
577 2.1

A very large amount of something, often many people or things

is casual exaggeration rather than a precise numerical statement
large number
vsbillion
215 1.4

Many people or things counted together

is an informal exaggeration term, not a precise or neutral description
multitude
vsbillion
60 4.4

A large number of things or people

is informal hyperbole rather than a neutral, literal collective term
zillion
vsbillion
  • Informal
42 5.6

A very large number that people use to show a lot

is a casual exaggeration instead of a literal counted amount
myriad
vsbillion
34 6.8

A very large number of things or people

is informal exaggeration rather than a neutral or formal many
gazillion
vsbillion
  • Slang
23 7.0

A very large unknown number used to say something is much bigger than it is

is an informal exaggeration rather than a literal precise figure
bazillion
vsbillion
  • Slang
8 8.1

A very large number that people use to show exaggeration

is used informally to overstate size rather than give exact value
jillion
vsbillion
  • Informal
5 9.2

A very large, not exact number people use to mean many

is informal overstatement rather than a precise numeric value
bajillion
vsbillion
  • UK
4 8.3

A very large number with no exact amount, said as a joke

is used casually to overstate quantity rather than measure it
trillion
vsbillion
  • Informal
3 3.2

A very large, not exact number used to show exaggeration

is informal exaggeration, not a literal precise count in context
over nine thousand
vsbillion
  • Slang
1 9.1

A joking phrase used to say a very large amount or level

is an informal exaggerated expression, not a literal measured quantity
1 1.0

A phrase that means many rather than exactly 101

is an informal way to overstate quantity rather than provide exact count
nonillion
vsbillion
  • Informal
1 9.9

A very large not exact number people use to mean a huge amount

is informal exaggeration rather than a precise mathematical value
gorillion
vsbillion
  • Slang
9.9

A made-up very large number that people use to mean a lot of things

is an informal exaggeration without literal numerical meaning
tredecillion
vsbillion
  • Informal
9.9

A very large number used to mean a huge, not exact amount

is an informal overstatement rather than an exact scientific figure

An amount that is large but not exactly known

is used informally as hyperbole instead of exact measured quantity

Compounds

A measure of how many billion math calculations a computer does each second

A rough annual grass grown for edible seeds, animal feed, and wildlife food

How Many

countless
248 2.5
billion
  • Informal
32 2.5
many
∞ 1.0
several
∞ 1.0
few
∞ 1.0

Surface Forms

billion singular
billions plural

Etymology

A helpful way to remember the informal use of billion is to think of it as 'a very large number' people use when they exaggerate, because a billion is so huge it becomes an easy way to say 'lots' rather than an exact amount.