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 of noodle

Noun (1)

• idiot
• moron
• stupid
• dummy
• loser
• dip
• mutt
• dumbbell

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

The birria ramen is a playful mash-up where ramen noodles swim in consomé and birria, finished with onion and cilantro. —Vivian Chung, Travel + Leisure, 23 Nov. 2025

Any noodle, any sauce, any topping. —Mary Shannon Wells, Southern Living, 23 Nov. 2025

Verb

His daughter remembers him spending time with the family watching TV and playing chords on his unplugged guitar constantly; his bandmates recall him noodling on the guitar during almost every meal. —Brian Halligan, Fortune, 25 Nov. 2025

Layer 6 lasagna noodles over sauce to cover bottom of dish, breaking and overlapping as needed to fit. —Kimberly Holland, Southern Living, 3 Oct. 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