zahllose

Zahllose is a German adjective meaning countless or innumerable. It describes a large, indefinite quantity and is most commonly used before a noun, especially in the plural, to emphasize that there are many of something. Typical usage examples include zahllose Sterne, zahllose Möglichkeiten, or zahllose Male.

Etymology and form: zahllose is derived from Zahl, meaning number, combined with the suffix -los, meaning without. The result conveys “without a countable number,” i.e., too many to count easily. The form zahllose occurs in attributive position before plural nouns (for example, die zahllosen Sterne). The standard synonym unzählige conveys a similar sense, while unzählbar emphasizes an even greater degree of invincibility to counting. Endlose is another related term that stresses infinity rather than sheer abundance.

Usage notes: Zahllose is common in both everyday language and written text and can carry a slightly emphatic or dramatized tone, depending on context. It can be paired with events, possibilities, instances, or items to indicate a very large quantity without committing to a precise number. The phrase zahllose Male is a common collocation meaning “countless times” or “many times.” In formal writing, zahllose can be balanced with precise data when available, or used to convey qualitative emphasis when exact figures are impractical.

See also: unzählige, unzählbar, endlos, zahlreich.

Overall, zahllose functions as a concise, expressive descriptor for large, indefinite quantities in German.