1
as in what-is-it
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
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
First, there’s gear, or technology—the gadgets and doodads that must stash in your carryon alongside a laptop and cellphone.
—Mark Ellwood, Robb Report, 7 Feb. 2025
The bottom line: What might have been a sleepy pre-Christmas weekend in Austin will instead see thousands of fans descend on the city, picking up hotel rooms, renting cars, buying doodads on South Congress and eating out (and tipping servers) at restaurants.
—Asher Price, Axios, 20 Dec. 2024
Sprinkled among the tens of thousands of holiday doodads are pieces of family history that Brown holds dearer to his heart than any of the Christmas adornments that have a high monetary value.
—Lennie Omalza, The Courier-Journal, 12 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for doodad
Paul Eisenberg, Chicago Tribune, 9 Feb. 2025
First, there’s gear, or technology—the gadgets and doodads that must stash in your carryon alongside a laptop and cellphone.
—Mark Ellwood, Robb Report, 7 Feb. 2025
The bottom line: What might have been a sleepy pre-Christmas weekend in Austin will instead see thousands of fans descend on the city, picking up hotel rooms, renting cars, buying doodads on South Congress and eating out (and tipping servers) at restaurants.
—Asher Price, Axios, 20 Dec. 2024
Sprinkled among the tens of thousands of holiday doodads are pieces of family history that Brown holds dearer to his heart than any of the Christmas adornments that have a high monetary value.
—Lennie Omalza, The Courier-Journal, 12 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for doodad
Recent Examples of Synonyms for doodad
Noun
-
Companion plants for ornamentals such as hydrangeas are selected for aesthetic purposes.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
5 Apr. 2025
-
Multipurpose nasturtiums can be grown for their edible flowers and leaves, or enjoyed as pollinator-friendly ornamentals.—
Lauren Landers,
Better Homes & Gardens,
12 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Isabelle McCalla gives an endearing, heartfelt and sometimes tearful performance as Elinor, who sings poignantly about her desire to be more useful in society than just a child-bearing ornament.—
Pam Kragen,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
12 Apr. 2025
-
The species’s presence in the U.K. dates back at least two hundred and fifty thousand years, and has inspired whimsical reverence—badgers appear across children’s literature and cartoons, on holiday ornaments, and as beloved mascots—and extreme loathing.—
Anna Russell,
The New Yorker,
10 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
On Sunday, traders of every nationality were already scouring its labyrinthine International Trade City, colloquially known as simply Yiwu Market, for samples of festive baubles and tinsel.—
Charlie Campbell,
Time,
28 Mar. 2025
-
Perez said the Legislature needs to resist the shiny new baubles dangled in front of them by lobbyists and special interest groups and cut unnecessary spending.—
Jeffrey Schweers,
The Orlando Sentinel,
26 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
The Florida resident reportedly traveled to Washington, D.C., with Trump on Air Force One to assist with the decorations.—
Raven Brunner,
People.com,
21 Apr. 2025
-
The second-biggest exporter of Christmas decorations to the US is Cambodia, where factory wages are even lower than China, but Trump also imposed 49% tariffs on the small Southeast Asian nation, before the recent 90-day pause.—
Marc Stewart,
CNN Money,
18 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
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
-
Shot in 2021, the film apparently featured a crew of Ukrainian gangsters as the henchmen of Hugh Grant’s billionaire arms dealer antagonist, Greg Simmonds (who is brokering the thingamajig deal).—
Katie Walsh,
Los Angeles Times,
3 Mar. 2023
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
Noun
-
Across the 20th century, a constellation of Black intellectuals and artists approached fashion not merely as ornamentation but as ontology.—
Achille Tenkiang,
Vogue,
24 Apr. 2025
-
This shift into ornamentation seems like a natural progression, particularly for Black designers as the Black home is rich in history, aesthetics, and storytelling.—
Kerane Marcellus,
Essence,
26 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
This model is basically an all-things-to-all people air-changing doohickey par excellence.—
Simon Hill,
Wired News,
31 Mar. 2025
-
This model is basically an all-things-to-all people air-changing doohickey par excellence.—
Simon Hill,
Wired News,
28 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Doodad.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/doodad. Accessed 4 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share