countless
gb/kˈaʊntləs/ us/kˈaʊntləs/
B2
English
~ 6700
Senses
0 senses
adjective
B2
property
1
Too many to be counted
So many that you cannot count them all.
Usage pattern:
countless [plural noun]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse "countless" with "uncountable." "Countless" means there are so many that you cannot count them, but they are still separate items (e.g., countless stars, countless people). "Uncountable" is a grammar word for nouns that cannot be used in the plural form (e.g., water, information). Learners also sometimes say "a countless number of," which is common in real use but is often considered wordy; usually "countless" before the noun is enough: say "countless problems" instead of "a countless number of problems."
Synonyms
innumerable (Slightly more formal and literary, but very close in meaning.)
|
numerous (Very many, but does not strongly suggest that counting is impossible.)
|
many (More general and weaker; does not carry the same strong emphasis on a very large number.)
Antonyms
few (Emphasizes a small number, the opposite of a very large number.)
|
limited (Stresses that the number is small or controlled, not extremely large.)
Collocations
countless times
|countless people
|countless hours
|countless opportunities
|countless ways
|countless others
Themes
quantity
|descriptions
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The company has helped countless people find their first job.
- There are countless reasons to learn another language.
- She has watched that movie countless times.
- Scientists warn that countless species could disappear in the next century.
- Over the years, he wrote countless letters to his friends abroad.
Learner examples
- I have told you this countless times.
- There are countless stars in the night sky.
- She spent countless hours studying for the exam.
- We have visited that restaurant countless times.
- He has made countless friends in this city.
Grammar
Dictionary form
countless
IPA
GB/kˈaʊntləs/
US/kˈaʊntləs/
Syllables & stress
count - less (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (count)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: countless
Word family
Expressions
countless hours
1/kˈaʊntləs ˈaʊɚz/
fixed phrase
Very many hours
Used to stress that someone spends a very long time doing something.
Examples
- She spent countless hours practicing the piano before the concert.
- Volunteers gave countless hours to help clean up the beach.
countless number of
1/kˈaʊntləs nˈʌmbɚ əv/
fixed phrase
A very large number of
Used before a plural noun to say there is a very large number of something.
Examples
- There are a countless number of videos on this topic online.
- The project faced a countless number of small problems along the way.
countless occasions
1/kˈaʊntləs ɔkˈeɪʒənz/
fixed phrase
Very many occasions
Used to talk about many separate times when something happened.
Examples
- On countless occasions, he stayed late to help his colleagues.
- They had laughed together on countless occasions before that day.
countless times
1/kˈaʊntləs tˈaɪmz/
fixed phrase
Very many times
Used to say that something has happened very many times.
Examples
- I’ve told you countless times not to leave the door unlocked.
- She has visited Paris countless times for work and holidays.
countless ways
1/kˈaʊntləs wˈeɪz/
fixed phrase
Many different ways
Used to say there are many different methods or forms of doing something.
Examples
- There are countless ways to improve your English every day.
- Technology can be used in countless ways to make our lives easier.