boatload

noun

boat·​load ˈbōt-ˌlōd 

1

: a load that fills a boat

a boatload of passengers

2

: an indefinitely large number or amount

a boatload of criticism

a boatload of money

Synonyms of boatload

• ton
• loads
• plenty
• dozen
• slew
• bunch
• lot
• chunk
• deal
• pile
• wealth

Examples of boatload in a Sentence

a boatload of publicity for the new handheld devices

Recent Examples on the Web

Once the cold is in place, this system is going to throw a boatload of moisture into it. —Bill Kelly, CBS News, 22 Jan. 2026

Freshman defensive back Bryce Fitzgerald (six interceptions) and senior transfer Jakobe Thomas (five) have a boatload of picks. —Andrew Greif, NBC news, 19 Jan. 2026

But in the old school literary canon (and a boatload of modern lit), the visceral and corporeal are often left out. —Literary Hub, 16 Jan. 2026

Hard to be anything else after five Emmy wins, including for best drama series, boatloads of critical acclaim and a genuine impact on our zeitgeist, from the memes to the fan fiction to all the chat at whatever your personal version of the water cooler is. —Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 8 Jan. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1625, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing boatload

• by the boatload

Rhymes for boatload

• abode
• anode
• barcode
• bestowed
• borrowed
• carload
• caseload
• cathode
• commode
• corrode
• crossroad
• decode

Kids Definition

boatload

noun

boat·​load -ˌlōd 

1

: a load that fills a boat

2

: a large amount

a boatload of money