odds and ends

plural noun

1

a

: miscellaneous articles

b

: miscellaneous small matters (as of business) to be attended to

2

: miscellaneous remnants or leftovers

odds and ends of food

Synonyms of odds and ends

• novelties
• gadgets
• notion
• sundries
• variety

Examples of odds and ends in a Sentence

she's always searching among the odds and ends in the drawer for some tool that she needs

almost all of the piece of leather will be needed for upholstering the chair, so just throw away any odds and ends

Recent Examples on the Web

Don't forget your odds and ends Adler encouraged me to never, ever throw away the stems of herbs. — Emily Siner, NPR, 27 June 2026

And also … There were a few other odds and ends. — Jayson Stark, New York Times, 26 June 2026

All the little odds and ends of daily life tend to get strewn everywhere, and no one wants to add an ugly plastic bin or cardboard box to the space just to throw things like remote controls, cords, and keys in. — Sarah Scott, Southern Living, 19 June 2026

There were also drawings, many of them self-portraits, and a number of other historical odds and ends, including a magazine featuring a young Henry Winkler at the height of The Fonz’s popularity. — Theo Peck-Suzuki, Hartford Courant, 18 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1761, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for odds and ends

• apprehends
• comprehends
• condescends
• dividends
• recommends
• amends
• appends
• ascends
• attends
• befriends
• boyfriends
• commends

Kids Definition

odds and ends

plural noun

: miscellaneous articles, leftovers, or things to do