laundry list

American

noun

Informal.

a lengthy, especially random list of items.

a laundry list of hoped-for presents; a laundry list of someone's crimes.

laundry list British

noun

a list of items perceived as being long

a laundry list of complaints

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of laundry list

First recorded in 1955–60

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

If the reader starts to feel pangs of resentment about this laundry list of expectations — well, we’re reminded that marriage is hard for a man too.

From Salon • May 8, 2026

The company had been facing a laundry list of potentially existential issues, like repeated technological missteps and an erosion of market share.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 24, 2026

The 36-year-old from Orlando, Fla., arrived in late February for a weeklong trip with friends, checking off a laundry list of theme parks.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 26, 2026

Nvidia’s press release featured a laundry list of endorsements.

From MarketWatch • Jan. 5, 2026

But a mere laundry list of every possible difference does not constitute an answer to Yali’s question.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023