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

• abundance
• barrel
• basketful
• bucket
• bunch
• bundle
• bushel
• carload
• chunk
• deal
• dozen
• fistful
• gobs
• good deal
• heap
• hundred
• lashings [chiefly British]
• lashins
• loads
• lot
• mass
• mess
• mountain
• much
• multiplicity
• myriad
• oodles
• pack
• passel
• peck
• pile
• plateful
• plenitude
• plentitude
• plenty
• pot
• potful
• profusion
• quantity
• raft
• reams
• scads
• sheaf
• shipload
• sight
• slew
• spate
• stack
• store
• ton
• truckload
• volume
• wad
• wealth
• yard

Examples of boatload in a Sentence

a boatload of publicity for the new handheld devices

Recent Examples on the Web

Amazon dropped a boatload of discounts in its fashion department, with tons of top brands getting in on the fun. —Clara McMahon, People.com, 17 Jan. 2025

So, too many students find themselves in the worst possible situation – a boatload of debt and no degree to show for it. —Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, TIME, 28 Dec. 2024

Chen was the company’s president and chief financial officer before stepping down in 2023, and is the company’s fifth billionaire thanks to the boatload of stock options he was awarded during his tenure. —Connor Greene, Forbes, 25 Dec. 2024

But instead of telling the world why the team wasn’t going to dump a boatload of cash on a player’s front lawn, Neely put his name on what would be a pretty fair offer. —Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 30 Sep. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1625, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing boatload

• by the boatload

Kids Definition

boatload

noun

boat·​load -ˌlōd 

1

: a load that fills a boat

2

: a large amount

a boatload of money