uncountable
/ʌnˈkaʊntəbl/ (bre, ipa) · /ʌnˈkaʊntəbl/ (ame, ipa) · /ˌən-ˈkau̇n-tə-bəl How to pronounce uncountable (audio)/ (ame, mw)
uncountable — adjective
- uncountablepositive
- more uncountablecomparative
- most uncountablesuperlative
1. describing a type of noun in grammar that cannot follow the words 'a' or 'an' an
describing a type of noun in grammar that cannot follow the words 'a' or 'an' and does not have a separate form for more than one
Mert learned that 'information' is an uncountable noun in English class.
learn + that-clause for discovering grammar rules
The teacher reminded the class that 'furniture' is an uncountable noun even though it covers many separate items.
Luggage is an uncountable noun, so the exchange student corrected her friend who said 'a luggage'.
In English, 'advice' is an uncountable noun, so we cannot say 'an advice'.
Hana made a list of uncountable nouns like 'water', 'rice', and 'knowledge'.
- mass
the alternative term used in some grammar systems, as in 'mass noun'
- countable
the opposite grammatical category; nouns that can take 'a'/'an' and have a regular plural form
用法筆記
Frequently placed before the noun it describes, as in 'uncountable noun'. Also called 'mass noun' in some grammar books. Unlike countable nouns, uncountable nouns use quantifiers such as 'some', 'much', or 'a little' instead of numbers.
常見錯誤
2. present in such huge numbers that it is impossible to count them all
present in such huge numbers that it is impossible to count them all
Beatriz saw an uncountable number of stars in the desert sky.
uncountable number of + plural noun
The uncountable grains of sand stretched for miles along the coast.
Folake received uncountable emails after her speech at the conference.
The old library held an uncountable collection of books from around the world.
Anong thought about the uncountable hours she had spent learning Chinese.
- countless
more common in everyday speech; less formal than 'uncountable'
- innumerable
similar formality level, but often suggests an amount too large to grasp rather than literally impossible to count
- numberless
mainly used in literary or poetic contexts
用法筆記
More formal and literary than 'countless' or 'too many to count'. Often used in descriptive writing to create a vivid impression of vastness. Unlike sense 1, this sense can modify plural countable nouns directly, as in 'uncountable stars'.