Too great or numerous to count or measure; immeasurable. Also means not revealed or narrated.
From Middle English, combining 'un-' (not) with 'told' (past participle of 'tell'). Originally meant 'not narrated' but developed the secondary meaning of 'incalculable' by the 16th century through the idea of stories too numerous to tell.
The dual meaning of 'untold' creates beautiful ambiguity - 'untold riches' could mean wealth that's never been described or wealth that's simply too vast to quantify. This semantic evolution shows how metaphorical thinking shapes language, moving from 'not spoken' to 'unspeakably large'.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.