innumerable hours of

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "innumerable hours of" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to emphasize a large, often uncountable, amount of time spent on an activity or task. Example: "After innumerable hours of practice, she finally mastered the piano."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

5 human-written examples

Both luminaries have afforded innumerable hours of pleasure, sometimes even transcendence, across various art forms in their storied careers.

The New York Times - Arts

He's relaxed, likable and – unsurprisingly for someone who has presented innumerable hours of live TV – an effortless talker.

The Guardian - TV & Radio

She unearthed Jane's journals, and conducted innumerable hours of research in order to write what was to become a collage of poetry, prose and documentary sources – words designed to "disrupt the tabloid, 'page-turner' quality of the story".

The Guardian - Books

Innumerable hours of my life have been spent in barbershops that specialise in cutting black people's hair, and the majority of my visits had nothing to do with getting my hair cut.

Vice

Innumerable hours of my life have been spent in barbershops that specialize in cutting black people's hair, and the majority of my visits had nothing to do with getting my hair cut.

Vice

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

54 human-written examples

"At Martha Stewart's direction, since early June, we have sought to cooperate fully with all of the House committee's requests for information, have voluntarily provided more than 1,500 pages of documents in response to its requests and have spent innumerable hours responding to dozens of additional requests for information," the statement said.

The New York Times

No worries, you've sunk innumerable hours into Xbox, and now have the dexterity of a tiger.

TechCrunch

On the other side of the trip to Los Angeles would be innumerable hours in a rented van.

The New York Times - Tech

I spent innumerable hours factoring, searching for primes, memorizing them.

The New Yorker

I pored over "The Official Preppy Handbook" for innumerable hours when it came out in 1980.

The New York Times - Magazine

My mother's hands spent innumerable hours dancing about on her flute.

Huffington Post

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "innumerable hours of" to effectively emphasize the large amount of time spent on a particular activity, conveying a sense of dedication or effort. Consider the context to ensure the phrase's tone aligns with your writing.

Common error

Avoid using "innumerable hours of" to describe relatively short or easily quantifiable durations. It is intended to convey a sense of a vast, unquantifiable time investment.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "innumerable hours of" functions as an adjective phrase modifying "hours", indicating a very large, uncountable quantity of time. As seen in Ludwig, it emphasizes the extensiveness of time spent on a given activity.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

60%

Science

20%

Wiki

20%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Formal & Business

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "innumerable hours of" effectively conveys a significant and seemingly uncountable amount of time spent on a particular activity. According to Ludwig, the phrase is grammatically correct and usable in written English. While not overly common, it appears most frequently in news and media contexts and carries a neutral to slightly formal tone. Alternatives like "countless hours of" or "endless hours of" offer similar meanings with potentially different shades of emphasis. When using this phrase, ensure it accurately reflects a substantial time investment to maintain credibility.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

countless hours of

Replaces "innumerable" with "countless", emphasizing the inability to count the hours, while retaining the meaning of a large amount of time.

endless hours of

Substitutes "innumerable" with "endless", suggesting that the hours seemed to go on without end, highlighting the perceived duration.

untold hours of

Similar to "innumerable", but with a slightly more literary or dramatic tone, also suggesting the hours are too many to count or recount.

numerous hours dedicated to

Emphasizes the dedication and focus associated with the time spent.

extensive hours of

Focuses on the breadth and scope of the time spent, rather than the inability to count it.

considerable hours of

Emphasizes the substantial nature of the time investment.

a great deal of time spent

Uses a more verbose structure to convey the large amount of time devoted.

significant amount of time

A more general phrase that conveys the idea of a notable time investment, without the specific mention of "hours".

long period of time

A broader term indicating an extended duration.

substantial time investment

Highlights the investment aspect of the time spent, suggesting a deliberate allocation of time to something.

FAQs

How can I use "innumerable hours of" in a sentence?

You can use "innumerable hours of" to describe a significant time investment in something, such as "After "innumerable hours of" practice, she perfected her skill" or "The project required "innumerable hours of" research and dedication".

What's the difference between "innumerable hours of" and "countless hours of"?

While both phrases convey a large, unquantifiable amount of time, "innumerable hours of" may suggest a slightly more formal or literary tone compared to the more common phrase "countless hours of".

What are some alternatives to "innumerable hours of"?

Alternatives include "endless hours of", "untold hours of", or a more general phrase like "a significant amount of time" depending on the context.

Is it correct to say "innumerable of hours" instead of "innumerable hours of"?

No, the correct phrasing is "innumerable hours of". The preposition "of" is essential to connect "innumerable" to the noun it modifies.