- Today's Word
Multitudinous
mul-tih-TOO-dih-nus
Definition
(adjective) Very numerous; existing in great numbers or quantities.
Example
The multitudinous stars filled the night sky, creating a breathtaking display.
Word Origin
Early 17th century: from Latin “multitudo” meaning “a great number,” from “multus” meaning “many,” with the suffix “-ous.”
Fun Fact
Shakespeare gave “multitudinous” its most famous appearance in Macbeth when the guilt-ridden king wonders if all Neptune’s ocean could wash blood from his hands, or would his hand instead make “the multitudinous seas incarnadine.” It’s one of literature’s most powerful images of overwhelming guilt—not just many seas, but innumerable, countless, infinite seas. The word itself feels multitudinous with its five syllables sprawling across the tongue. While “numerous” or “many” would work just fine, multitudinous adds dramatic weight, suggesting numbers so vast they become almost incomprehensible.
