tidy
Americanadjective
verb (used with or without object)
noun
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any of various articles for keeping things tidy, as a box having small drawers and compartments.
-
an antimacassar.
adjective
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characterized by or indicating neatness and order
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informal considerable
a tidy sum of money
verb
noun
-
-
a small container in which odds and ends are kept
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a container with holes in the bottom, kept in the sink to retain rubbish that might clog the plug hole
-
-
an ornamental protective covering for the back or arms of a chair
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Conjugated Forms
Present
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have tidiedperfect
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has tidiedperfect 3rd person singular
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has been tidyingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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is tidyingprogressive 3rd person singular
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am tidyingprogressive 1st person singular
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are tidyingprogressive
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tidiessingular 3rd person
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have been tidyingperfect progressive
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tidyingparticiple
Past
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had tidiedperfect
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were tidyingprogressive plural
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had been tidyingperfect progressive
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tidiedsimple
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tidiedparticiple
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was tidyingprogressive singular
Future
Etymology
Origin of tidy
First recorded in 1200–50; Middle English tidi, tidy “seasonable,” hence “good”; cognate with Dutch tijdig; equivalent to tide 1 + -y 1
Explanation
Use the adjective tidy for something that is neat and clean. If your desk were more tidy, you would be able to find your computer. Tidy (or tidy up) also means “to clean up” and is also a noun for a container for small objects, like scraps or sewing materials. These senses of tidy have a formal or even old-fashioned note. (We’re more likely to say clean, organize, or bin now in everyday conversation.) Tidy is also an informal adjective meaning "large or considerable." If you can put the word tidy before your profit or the sum in your bank account, it’s a good thing.
Vocabulary lists containing tidy
Mr. Popper’s Penguins
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Boy: Tales of Childhood
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"Musée des Beaux Arts" by W.H. Auden
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Keep Wales Tidy said the statistics showed significantly reduced drinks-container litter, improved the quality of collected materials, and enabled higher-value recycling or reuse.
From BBC • May 18, 2026
But Owen Derbyshire, of charity Keep Wales Tidy, said the move would be "transformational" in reducing litter and changing habits.
From BBC • May 18, 2026
"Hey. This is Joe Tidy from the BBC reporting on this Co-op news, correct?" the hackers messaged me on Telegram.
From BBC • May 17, 2025
Keep Wales Tidy said the rise was mainly being driven by a "huge increase" of on-the-go food and drinks packaging, as well as pressure on council street cleaning budgets.
From BBC • May 8, 2025
Tidy nannies bought Amber orb-powered toys for children in fresh-pressed school uniforms.
From "A Wish in the Dark" by Christina Soontornvat
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
