years

The word “years” means a very long stretch of time (informal, used loosely). In plain terms, used loosely to mean "a very long time," beyond its literal sense as the plural of "year.".

“Years” is pronounced yeerz (/jɪɹz/ in IPA).

Here is “years” used in a sentence: “It felt like years since they had last spoken.”

“Years” is a noun.

“Years” is a very common word in modern English.

Here years does not count exact time — it is a loose, informal way of saying 'a very long time.' 'I haven't seen you in years' simply means it has been ages, whether that is three years or ten. It is gentle exaggeration for effect, not a precise measurement.

Not really. Used this way, years is deliberately loose — a figure of speech rather than a count. 'This will take years' or 'I have waited years for this' emphasises how long something feels, not an exact number. It is the same everyday hyperbole as saying 'ages' or 'forever.'

You will hear it in phrases like 'It has been years since we spoke,' 'She has looked younger for years,' or 'That was years ago.' None pins down an exact span — each just signals a long, vague stretch of time, often to stress how much has passed.