laundry list

American  

noun

Informal.

1. a lengthy, especially random list of items.

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

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laundry list British  

noun

1. a list of items perceived as being long

   a laundry list of complaints

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Etymology

Origin of laundry list

First recorded in 1955–60

Example Sentences

In fact a laundry list of laundry terms could apply: folded, pressed, softened, agitated, pleated, creased, puckered.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 22, 2026

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

Speeches that deviate from the ubiquitous laundry list of thank yous always get more attention, whether they’re political or not, for the simple reason that they’re so dang unusual.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 13, 2026

Every year the speechwriters tell themselves This time it’s not going to be a laundry list, only to realize by the end that it’s going to be a laundry list.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 23, 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