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Glite Dictionary
umpteenth time

umpteenth time

7 7.3
A very large number of times that shows someone is annoyed
  • noun
  • /ˈʌmpˌtiːnθ taɪm/
  • Informal
translation icon : umpésima vez
  • Miss Davenport said for the umpteenth time, "Finding information defines the modern thinker."
  • again for the umpteenth time
  • wondering for the umpteenth time
  • say for the umpteenth time

I had slept through work for the umpteenth time.

Examples

  • "And for the umpteenth time he pictured the scene down there in the vineyard."

    Fiction book (1998)

  • For the umpteenth time, I had tried to make a call, only to hear a busy signal in my ear.

    Fiction book (2001)

  • Let me make it clear for the umpteenth time, no order.

  • For the umpteenth time, he has to introduce himself to the American people.

    Blog text (18)

  • And I am telling you for the umpteenth time, these drawings are wrong.

    Cremaster 2 (1999)

  • It's like the umpteenth time I've seen ya here.

    Chasing Amy (1997)

  • And once again, for the umpteenth time, I wondered what Ula was thinking.

    Fiction book (1995)

  • And I'm breaking my hairdresser's appointment for the umpteenth time.

    Fiction book (1998)

  • Upon hearing it for the umpteenth time, Evie glared at him.

    Fiction book (1992)

  • Let me make it clear for the umpteenth time, no order.

Synonyms

repeatedly
vsumpteenth time
382 1.0

It happens again and again

adds strong exaggeration and often directly expresses annoyance
over and over again
vsumpteenth time
268 1.0

Happens many times

implies a large indefinite count and usually adds exasperation
time and time again
vsumpteenth time
  • Informal
73 1.8

Very often on many occasions

focuses on extreme indefinite frequency often mixed with annoyance
zillionth
vsumpteenth time
  • Informal
1 8.4

Happening very many times

expresses the same idea but often shows annoyance or exasperation
umteenth
vsumpteenth time
  • Informal
9.7

Describes something that has happened many times and annoys people

has the same meaning but is phrased as a time expression
umptieth
vsumpteenth time
  • Informal
9.9

Said to show something happened many times, often as an exaggeration

is similar but usually carries real annoyance rather than humor

Antonyms

once
∞ 1.0

Happens on a single occasion in the past or future

first time
∞ 1.0

An occasion when someone does or experiences something they have not done before

How Often

umpteenth time
  • Informal
7 7.3
many a time
6 2.6
once or twice
88 1.6
once
∞ 1.0

Surface Forms

umpteenth time singular
umpteenth times plural

Morphology

umpteenth + time

The adjective 'umpteenth' already encodes 'a very large, indefinite number' so combining it with the literal noun 'time' yields the meaning 'many repetitions' directly. There is no idiomatic shift or metaphorical extension, and comparable constructions exist in other languages (e.g. Spanish 'por enésima vez'), so a learner who knows both constituents will understand it.

Etymology

The phrase umpteenth time may come from combining umpteen, a joking word for 'many', and the math word nth for an unknown number. So people say umpteenth time when they are annoyed that something has happened 'again and again'.