millions upon millions

USAGE SUMMARY

"millions upon millions" is an accurate and commonly used phrase in written English.
You can use it to emphasize a large quantity of something. For example, "The animal shelter was overcrowded with hundreds of cats and dogs and millions upon millions of fleas."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Formal & Business

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

55 human-written examples

From 1840 to 1918, millions upon millions of ducks, geese and shorebirds were killed.

The New York Times - Sports

Wages are extra — millions upon millions extra.

The New York Times - Sports

Millions upon millions watched India beat Pakistan in the final.

The Economist

The millions upon millions invested in the betting?

The New York Times - Sports

He wants to deport millions upon millions of undocumented immigrants.

The Guardian - Opinion

But there it was, millions upon millions of words.

The New York Times - Arts

The Knicks make millions upon millions of dollars a year.

The New York Times - Sports

Millions upon millions of families are suffering, but mostly in silence.

The New York Times

They had millions upon millions of those cells without any cell venting".

The New York Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

2 human-written examples

After 22nd to 24th days, upon the first treatment of ampicillin, the counts of both E coli 16 (pUC- gfp) and E. coli 16 (pUC8:16 gfp) transformants in feces were increased.

BioMed Research International

Venetians in the 15th century and the French in the 17th and 18th centuries speculated upon the possibility of making a canal through the isthmus.

Encyclopedia Britannica

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "millions upon millions" to convey a sense of extremely high quantity, beyond simple enumeration. It adds emphasis.

Common error

While effective for emphasis, avoid using "millions upon millions" repeatedly in formal writing. Opt for more precise figures or alternatives like "countless millions" to maintain a professional tone.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "millions upon millions" functions as a quantifier, specifically an intensifier used to emphasize a very large quantity. Ludwig confirms that this is a grammatically correct phrase.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

77%

Formal & Business

15%

Science

8%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "millions upon millions" is a grammatically correct phrase used to emphasize a very large quantity, as confirmed by Ludwig. It is most frequently found in journalistic and descriptive contexts. While effective for emphasis, it's crucial to use this phrase judiciously, particularly in formal writing, where precision and conciseness are valued. Alternative options, such as stating a specific numerical range or employing phrases like "untold millions", can provide similar emphasis without sacrificing formality.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

millions and millions

A slightly more emphatic repetition of "millions".

countless millions

Emphasizes the inability to count the millions, adding a sense of boundlessness.

uncountable millions

Similar to "countless millions", stressing the inability to count.

untold millions

Indicates that the number of millions is so large it's difficult to ascertain.

vast numbers of millions

Highlights the immensity of the number in terms of millions.

numerous millions

Focuses on the abundant quantity of millions.

virtually millions

Emphasizes the amount of millions almost reaches unquantifiable state.

a plethora of millions

Replaces the repetition with a more sophisticated term for abundance.

a great many millions

Uses "great many" to amplify the sense of quantity of the millions.

tons of millions

Informal way to express a large amount of millions.

FAQs

How can I use "millions upon millions" in a sentence?

Use "millions upon millions" to emphasize a very large number, such as "The project cost "millions upon millions" of dollars".

What's a more formal alternative to "millions upon millions"?

For a more formal tone, consider using phrases like "untold millions" or stating a specific numerical range instead.

Is it redundant to say "millions upon millions"?

While it is repetitive, the phrase "millions upon millions" is used for emphasis. However, be mindful of overuse, as it can become tedious.

When is it appropriate to use "millions upon millions"?

It's appropriate when you want to stress the vastness of a number in a way that a simple "millions" doesn't convey. Suitable in journalistic or descriptive writing where impact is desired.