Meaning & use
oodle
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Meaning
nounpluralinformal
A very large amount or number of something; used almost only in the plural phrase 'oodles of'.
Grammar: Usually appears as 'oodles' followed by 'of' and a plural or uncountable noun: oodles of time.
Patterns
- oodles of something
- oodles of fun
- have oodles of something
She has oodles of energy and never seems tired.
There were oodles of flowers in the garden after the rain.
We still have oodles of time before the train leaves.
Word forms
| plural | oodles |
|---|
Common combinations
- oodles of time
- Don't rush; we have oodles of time before the show starts.
- oodles of money
- He inherited oodles of money from his grandfather.
- oodles of fun
- The kids had oodles of fun at the water park.
- oodles of energy
- Our new puppy has oodles of energy every morning.
Synonyms and how they differ
- loads
- Informal and very common in British English; 'loads of' works in the same way as 'oodles of' but sounds slightly less playful.
- plenty
- More neutral and not restricted to informal speech, and it usually suggests 'enough or more than enough' rather than a huge amount.
- tons
- Also informal and used with 'of', but it often feels even more exaggerated than 'oodles'.
Commonly confused: oodle or noodle? oodle or doodle?
oodle vs noodle
A 'noodle' is a strip of pasta or, informally, a person's head or brain; 'oodle' only appears in the quantity phrase 'oodles of'.
oodle vs doodle
To 'doodle' means to draw aimlessly while thinking of something else, which has nothing to do with quantity.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'oodle' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Oodles of' is the standard pattern for a large amount, so 'oodles of people' fits. The other options treat 'oodle' as a verb, a comparison, or a single countable object, which the word never is.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “oodle”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.