1
as in thingamajig
a small article the actual name of which one either does not know or cannot remember
where does this little doodad go?
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in ornamental
a small object displayed for its attractiveness or interest
has a habit of buying gadgets and doodads sold on television shopping channels
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in ornament
something that decorates or beautifies
the array of doodads that some drivers hang from their rearview mirror
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of doodad
For me, her most useful doodad was a 10-inch microwave splatter cover (Nordic Ware, $1.82 at Walmart).
—
arkansasonline.com, 10 July 2025
Despite its failings, the Regal incubator achieves greatness as a cool toy/doodad.
—Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 3 July 2025
See the textures on the doodads in the background, on the red pillow, on the floor, and on Mario's clothes.
—ArsTechnica, 6 June 2025
The kitchen, where visitors can rifle through drawers and cabinets filled with Tupperware, aluminum serving dishes and other modern doodads available to postwar home cooks, is a year-round attraction.
—Paul Eisenberg, Chicago Tribune, 9 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for doodad
arkansasonline.com, 10 July 2025
Despite its failings, the Regal incubator achieves greatness as a cool toy/doodad.
—Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 3 July 2025
See the textures on the doodads in the background, on the red pillow, on the floor, and on Mario's clothes.
—ArsTechnica, 6 June 2025
The kitchen, where visitors can rifle through drawers and cabinets filled with Tupperware, aluminum serving dishes and other modern doodads available to postwar home cooks, is a year-round attraction.
—Paul Eisenberg, Chicago Tribune, 9 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for doodad
Recent Examples of Synonyms for doodad
Noun
-
And this doesn’t include the little four-facial-expression thingamajigs in airport restrooms that ask you to rank cleanliness by touching them.—
Phil Wahba,
Fortune,
28 Dec. 2025
-
Lenovo’s claim appears to be that the Legion 9i can fully cool itself with this method, no thingamajig needed.—
Monica Chin,
The Verge,
1 Sep. 2023
Noun
-
Companion plants for ornamentals such as hydrangeas are selected for aesthetic purposes.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
5 Apr. 2026
-
Water ornamental beds no more than once every week to 10 days, allowing the soil to dry out in between.—
Nan Sterman,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
4 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
At the center of each ornament is a small flower that spins in the breeze.—
Sophia Beams,
Better Homes & Gardens,
17 Apr. 2026
-
Much like her environmentally conscious mama, Penelope Disick's choice of birthday party decorations featured ornaments that were not only good for her aesthetic, but also good for the environment.—
Jen Juneau,
PEOPLE,
13 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Co-writes from Brandi Carlile and vocals from Chris Stapleton can’t save it; the choruses can’t muster up the old dopamine hits; even the trademark Dessner doohickeys seem absent, just uninspired arrangements with heavily Melodyned vocals.—
Hannah Jocelyn,
Pitchfork,
20 Feb. 2026
-
That is the fateful question seemingly posed by this new Pixar installment, which picks up on the familiar parenting conundrum about screentime as Woody, Buzz and the gang encounter a new doohickey in the playroom – a tablet.—
Dan Heching,
CNN Money,
5 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Eight years later John Jacob Astor took the pricey bauble on a trip — aboard the Titanic.—
Richard Johnson,
New York Daily News,
19 Apr. 2026
-
The owner of home shopping network pioneer QVC — which for years garnered the attention of millions of TV viewers looking for a deal on baubles and housewares, is planning to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.—
Anne D'Innocenzio,
Chicago Tribune,
17 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
There are so many exquisite, Netherlandish, hyperreal details to admire in the piece—the shadow of Giovanna’s necklace, the enamel decorations on her cross, the frizz of her hair—but there’s something about the ribbon that feels like a banner of heartbreak.—
Zachary Fine,
New Yorker,
20 Apr. 2026
-
The photos at Nurse Dana’s workstation, for example, are of actor Katherine LaNasa’s real-life children, and the pets aren’t the only break-room decorations Ruscio sourced from asking around.—
Hershal Pandya,
Vulture,
15 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Wicks ends up dead, stabbed in the back with a sinister-looking thingamabob.—
Stephanie Zacharek,
Time,
12 Dec. 2025
-
But where barrel jeans play with proportions and cuts, these pants are more about doohickeys and thingamabobs, straps, flaps, and pulleys.—
Sam Reed,
Glamour,
10 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Words that foiled spellers included chrysal, athanor, cloxacillin, heliconius, torticollis, platylepadid and gewgaw, and at one point judges had to review a video replay to determine whether a speller said the letter I or Y.—
New York Times,
New York Times,
9 July 2021
-
And how nice to see Cynthia Erivo — to really see the woman and not have her overwhelmed by an elaborate mishmash of ruffles and gewgaws.—
Washington Post,
Washington Post,
6 Jan. 2020
Cite this Entry
“Doodad.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/doodad. Accessed 21 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
