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
The boatloads of aid will be deposited at a port facility built by the Israelis just southwest of Gaza City.
—
Lolita C. Baldor and Jon Gambrell, The Christian Science Monitor, 18 May 2024
In recent years, though, there’s been a shift in game adaptations, with projects like The Last of Us and Werewolves Within achieving critical acclaim and—in the case of the former, at least—a boatload of awards nods.
—Marah Eakin, WIRED, 11 Apr. 2024
The celebration involved some big performances, a boatload of flowers, and three outfit changes from the bride (including a complete hair change).
—Essence, 8 Mar. 2024
Nuclear energy Nuclear energy is produced by nuclear fission, when the nucleus of an atom splits apart into two smaller atoms and releases a boatload of energy.
—Kylie Martin, Detroit Free Press, 28 Mar. 2024
But someone, somewhere (likely hundreds of years ago), got it in their heads to take that practically inedible drying them out in a boatload of sea salt and then rehydrating them could make for a tasty ingredient.
—Allison Morrow, CNN, 23 Mar. 2024
Now 24 years later, the APF team continues to keep the mission alive while having a boatload of fun.
—Alexis Bennett Parker, Vogue, 15 Mar. 2024
Three years ago, the NCAA took a boatload of criticism — much of it well-deserved — for treating the women’s tournament as an afterthought.
—Dan Wolken, USA TODAY, 16 Feb. 2024
With the backing of Western powers that felt at once guilty and disinclined to accept the boatloads themselves, the Zionism of David Ben-Gurion, Israel’s first Prime Minister, presented itself as the only viable option.
—Gideon Lewis-Kraus, The New Yorker, 15 Feb. 2024
Lolita C. Baldor and Jon Gambrell, The Christian Science Monitor, 18 May 2024
In recent years, though, there’s been a shift in game adaptations, with projects like The Last of Us and Werewolves Within achieving critical acclaim and—in the case of the former, at least—a boatload of awards nods.
—Marah Eakin, WIRED, 11 Apr. 2024
The celebration involved some big performances, a boatload of flowers, and three outfit changes from the bride (including a complete hair change).
—Essence, 8 Mar. 2024
Nuclear energy Nuclear energy is produced by nuclear fission, when the nucleus of an atom splits apart into two smaller atoms and releases a boatload of energy.
—Kylie Martin, Detroit Free Press, 28 Mar. 2024
But someone, somewhere (likely hundreds of years ago), got it in their heads to take that practically inedible drying them out in a boatload of sea salt and then rehydrating them could make for a tasty ingredient.
—Allison Morrow, CNN, 23 Mar. 2024
Now 24 years later, the APF team continues to keep the mission alive while having a boatload of fun.
—Alexis Bennett Parker, Vogue, 15 Mar. 2024
Three years ago, the NCAA took a boatload of criticism — much of it well-deserved — for treating the women’s tournament as an afterthought.
—Dan Wolken, USA TODAY, 16 Feb. 2024
With the backing of Western powers that felt at once guilty and disinclined to accept the boatloads themselves, the Zionism of David Ben-Gurion, Israel’s first Prime Minister, presented itself as the only viable option.
—Gideon Lewis-Kraus, The New Yorker, 15 Feb. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'boatload.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near boatload
Cite this Entry
“Boatload.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/boatload. Accessed 28 May. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
boatload
noun
boat·load
-ˌlōd 
1
: a load that fills a boat
2
: a large amount
a boatload of money
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share