noodle

1 of 3

noun (1)

noo·​dle ˈnü-dᵊl 

1

: a stupid person : simpleton

2

: head, noggin

noodle

2 of 3

noun (2)

1

: a food paste made usually with egg and shaped typically in ribbon form

2

: a buoyant, flexible cylinder of polyethylene foam used as an aid in swimming or staying afloat in water

Grasp the pool noodle with hands about shoulder-width apart, then extend arms straight out in front of you on the water's surface …

—Good Housekeeping

noodle

3 of 3

verb

noodled; noodling

ˈnüd-liŋ,

ˈnü-dᵊl-iŋ 

intransitive verb

: to improvise on an instrument in an informal or desultory manner

Synonyms

Noun (1)

• airhead
• birdbrain
• blockhead
• bonehead
• bubblehead
• chowderhead
• chucklehead
• clodpoll
• clodpole
• clot [British]
• cluck
• clunk
• cretin
• cuddy [British dialect]
• cuddie
• deadhead
• dim bulb [slang]
• dimwit
• dip
• dodo
• dolt
• donkey
• doofus [slang]
• dope
• dork [slang]
• dullard
• dum-dum
• dumbbell
• dumbhead
• dummkopf
• dummy
• dunce
• dunderhead
• fathead
• gander
• golem
• goof
• goon
• half-wit
• hammerhead
• hardhead
• idiot
• ignoramus
• imbecile
• jackass
• know-nothing
• knucklehead
• lamebrain
• loggerhead [chiefly dialect]
• loon
• lump
• lunkhead
• meathead
• mome [archaic]
• moron
• mug [chiefly British]
• mutt
• natural
• nimrod [slang]
• nincompoop
• ninny
• ninnyhammer
• nit [chiefly British]
• nitwit
• noddy
• numskull
• numbskull
• oaf
• pinhead
• prat [British]
• ratbag [chiefly Australian]
• saphead
• schlub [slang]
• shlub
• schnook [slang]
• simpleton
• stock
• stupe
• stupid
• thickhead
• turkey
• woodenhead
• yahoo
• yo-yo

Examples of noodle in a Sentence

Noun (1)

come in out of the rain, you silly noodle

since he's almost seven feet tall, it shouldn't be too difficult to spot his noodle in this crowd

Verb

He was just noodling around on the guitar.

It's a thought I've been noodling around with for some time.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Tam Pham of Tâm Tâm will feature a Massaman goat curry with egg noodles, garlic oil, watermelon radish, fresh herbs, and lime. —Amber Love Bond, Forbes.com, 28 Apr. 2025

This cash-only roadside restaurant serves everything from spring rolls to noodles, including pad Thai, with picnic benches to dine alfresco before heading into the Alaskan wilderness. —Stephanie Vermillion, Travel + Leisure, 27 Apr. 2025

Verb

Eddie Lowery had a similar experience back in the Eighties, locked up in a Kansas facility for a rape he’s since been cleared of, noodling on a guitar his mother sent him. —Brenna Ehrlich, Rolling Stone, 17 Apr. 2025

The silky, peppery cheese sauce coats the bouncy noodles perfectly. —Alana Al-Hatlani, Southern Living, 2 Mar. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

perhaps alteration of noddle

Noun (2)

German Nudel

Verb

imitative

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1720, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

1779, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

circa 1937, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing noodle

• cellophane noodle
• chicken noodle soup
• udon noodle

Rhymes for noodle

• boodle
• doodle
• feudal
• poodle

Kids Definition

noodle

noun

noo·​dle

ˈnüd-ᵊl

: a thin strip of dough made from flour, water, and usually eggs and cooked by boiling