different between thousandfold vs trillionfold

English

Etymology

From Middle English thusendfold, thusendfeld, from Old English þ?sendfeald, from Proto-Germanic *þ?sund?falþaz, corresponding to thousand +? -fold. Cognate with Dutch duizendvoud, duizendvoudig, German tausendfältig, Danish tusindfold, Swedish tusendfalt, tusendfaltig, Icelandic þúsundfalt.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /??a?z?ndf??ld/

Adjective

thousandfold (not comparable)

1. Multiplied by one thousand (1000), repeated a thousand times.

   The changes to the algorithm resulted in a thousandfold increase in efficiency, earning the engineer a small brass plaque.

2. Having one thousand parts or members.

Translations

Adverb

thousandfold (not comparable)

1. By a factor of a thousand.

Translations

English

Etymology

trillion +? -fold

Adjective

trillionfold (not comparable)

1. By a multiple of one trillion; by a trillion times as much or as many.

   The volume occupied by the star's exploding gases underwent a trillionfold increase.

Adverb

trillionfold (not comparable)

1. By a factor of one trillion.

   The national debt has ballooned trillionfold in the past century.

Related terms

• hundredfold
• thousandfold
• millionfold
• billionfold

Usage notes

Both the adjective and the adverb are often used as hyperbole, indicating not literally a trillion, but rather some vague inestimable number or amount.