oodles
Americannoun
plural noun
Etymology
Origin of oodles
First recorded in 1865–70; origin uncertain
Explanation
When you have oodles of something, you have a whole lot of it. If you have a big bowl of spaghetti, then you can say that you have "oodles of noodles." Use the informal oodles when you mean "lots," "tons," or "bunches." If you grow up to have oodles of money, you can buy a huge house with oodles of space for the oodles of puppies you plan to adopt. Of course, you also imagine having oodles of dog nannies to take care of the puppies and clean up after them. Oodles is an American English word that first turned up in nineteenth century Texas.
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.
Oodles of diplomatic energy have been expended on the unlikely relationship between the former human rights lawyer, Sir Keir Starmer and the former real estate magnate turned reality TV star, Donald Trump.
From BBC • Mar. 3, 2026
I must admit, I did not care for Nissin Oodles of Noodles or Top Ramen initially.
From Salon • Jun. 27, 2023
“Nicholas, could you please make Oodles of Noodles? Could you please change that diaper?” she’d ask him, and he’d do it.
From Washington Times • May 5, 2018
Oodles of noodles: If your idea of fun includes slurping ramen noodles and twirling pasta in the same meal, then you'll probably want to head to downtown Santa Ana on Saturday.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 23, 2018
Oodles of foxes and bears and raccoons and things.
From The Outdoor Girls in the Saddle Or, The Girl Miner of Gold Run by Hope, Laura Lee
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
