tidy
/ˈtaɪ.di/ IELTSAcademic
adjective
Neat and arranged in order. A tidy place, desk, or room is clean and not messy. It can also mean small, controlled, or careful.
- Her desk is always tidy.
- Please keep your room tidy.
- They made a tidy profit.
verb
To make something neat and in order. You tidy a room, table, or pile of papers when you arrange things and remove mess.
- I need to tidy my room.
- She tidied the kitchen after dinner.
- He tidied his papers before the meeting.
Adinary Nuance
Tidy is close to neat, clean, and orderly, but each word has a slightly different feel. Tidy suggests things are put in the right place and not messy. Neat can sound a little more exact or careful, while clean focuses more on the absence of dirt. Orderly often sounds more formal and is common in writing.
In other languages
- Vietnamese
- gọn gàng
- Spanish
- ordenado
- Chinese
- 整洁
- Japanese
- きちんとした
- Korean
- 단정한
Etymology
Tidy came into English from the word tidy, probably from early modern English use meaning “in good condition” or “well kept.” Its exact origin is uncertain.
Common phrases
tidy roomtidy desktidy uptidy profit
Synonyms
Related words
Frequently asked questions
- Is tidy a formal word?
- No, tidy is common in everyday English. It is also fine in writing and speaking.
- What is the difference between tidy and neat?
- Both mean not messy. Tidy usually means arranged properly, while neat can sound more precise or polished.
- Can I say tidy up?
- Yes. Tidy up is a very common phrasal verb meaning to make something neat.
- Does tidy only mean clean?
- No. Tidy means neat and in order. A room can be tidy even if it is not spotless.