zillion

IPA/ˈzɪljən/
KK[zˈɪljən]IPA/ˈzɪljən/

zillion — noun

  • zillionsingular
  • zillionsplural

1. an informal word used for a number that is much larger than usual, said when som

1.nounB2
Definition

an informal word used for a number that is much larger than usual, said when someone wants to exaggerate or show surprise at how many things there are

Example

Dario told his mother he had a zillion homework problems to finish.

a zillion + plural countable noun for exaggeration

The old camera has a zillion tiny buttons, and Takeshi cannot figure them out.

Common collocations
  • a zillion times
  • a zillion dollars
  • zillions of people
  • a zillion questions
Synonyms
  • countless

    neutral and more widely accepted in writing; 'countless' can be used in formal contexts

  • innumerable

    slightly more formal than 'zillion'; implies too many to count individually

  • umpteen

    also informal and similar in tone, but 'umpteen' often refers to an unspecified and relatively lower number than 'zillion'

Grammar Patterns

a zillion + plural noun

zillions of + plural noun

Usage Note

Frequently used in everyday speech and playful writing, but never in formal or academic contexts. The singular form ("a zillion") is more common than the plural ("zillions of"), though both appear in casual English.

Common Mistakes

The company reported a zillion dollars in profit this year.
The company reported an enormous profit this year.
'zillion' is too informal for a business or financial report.

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four words describe a very large or uncountable number, but they differ in register and scope. 'Countless' is the most neutral and can be used in both casual and formal writing: 'countless stars in the night sky.' 'Innumerable' is more formal and implies something is too numerous to count individually: 'innumerable species have yet to be discovered.' 'Myriad' can serve as a noun ('a myriad of options') or an adjective ('myriad options'); it carries a slightly literary or decorative tone. 'Umpteen' is colloquial like 'zillion' but suggests a number that is merely vague rather than astronomically large: 'I've told you umpteen times.' Choose 'zillion' when the tone is playful and the exaggeration is deliberate — all other options are more restrained.

countless ↗innumerable ↗umpteenmyriad ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • a zillion times
  • a zillion questions
  • a zillion dollars

Prepositions

  • zillions of

Etymology

English

Coined in the early 20th century as a playful invented number that imitates the '-illion' ending of 'million,' 'billion,' and 'trillion.' The initial 'z' was probably chosen to suggest a starting point far beyond those real numbers — since 'z' is the last letter of the alphabet, it implies the largest possible figure. 'Zillion' has never had a real mathematical value; it was always meant as an exaggeration.

First known use

1934

1934, in the meaning defined above