tidy

[ tahy-dee ]

/ ˈtaɪ di /

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See synonyms for: tidy / tidiness on Thesaurus.com

adjective, ti·di·er, ti·di·est.

neat, orderly, or trim, as in appearance or dress: a tidy room; a tidy person.

clearly organized and systematic: a tidy mind; a tidy way of working.

tolerably good; acceptable: They worked out a tidy arrangement agreeable to all.

fairly large; considerable: a tidy sum.

verb (used with or without object), ti·died, ti·dy·ing.

to make tidy or neat (often followed by up).

noun, plural ti·dies.

any of various articles for keeping things tidy, as a box having small drawers and compartments.

an antimacassar.

OPPOSITES FOR tidy

1 messy, sloppy.

See antonyms for tidy on Thesaurus.com

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Origin of tidy

1200–50; Middle English tidi, tidy seasonable, hence good; cognate with Dutch tijdig.See tide¹, -y¹

OTHER WORDS FROM tidy

ti·di·ly, adverbti·di·ness, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use tidy in a sentence

After the stop at Bridge’s office, Bridge drove Ligon to his new home, where his family and support team celebrated on the street and then inside the tidy home.
He was locked up at age 15. Almost seven decades later, he’s reentering an unfamiliar world.|Karen Heller|February 19, 2021|Washington Post
Launched in 1876 by a couple who needed a sweeping machine to keep their store tidy, the Bissells were soon selling more carpet sweepers than cups and saucers.
Best vacuum for pet hair: Get a fur-free home with these powerful dustbusters|Charlotte Marcus|February 16, 2021|Popular-Science
However, it’s worth thinking about how you are going to use your cleaner before purchasing—because if car-cleaning, or tidying up after pets is a consideration, that needs to be factored in.
Best cordless vacuum: Suck up debris without getting yourself tangled|Charlotte Marcus|January 19, 2021|Popular-Science
If you don’t do a good tidy-up beforehand, they’ll either grind to a halt or plow on and knock doggy or kiddie toys over.
Best vacuum cleaner: How to tidy up fast|Charlotte Marcus|January 14, 2021|Popular-Science

Even “The Brady Bunch,” which ran from 1969 to 1974, managed to find tidy solutions to the problems presented by the melding of two families.
Pat Loud, early reality TV star as matriarch on ‘An American Family,’ dies at 94|Emily Langer|January 12, 2021|Washington Post
The sea tidied up the shore again as the housemaids took up the crumbs from the hotel carpets.
Mushroom Town|Oliver Onions
He is neat and 66 well combed; his playthings, too, have been nicely tidied up, and his books are under his arm.
The History of Modern Painting, Volume 1 (of 4)|Richard Muther
Waste water should be carried away, pitchers filled, washstands tidied and beds opened.
The Library of Work and Play: Housekeeping|Elizabeth Hale Gilman
He carefully tidied the kitchen until it looked spotless and shining, as though Dame Grumble herself had done it.
The Green Forest Fairy Book|Loretta Ellen Brady
She served the table for the plowmen and took her own meal in the pantry while she tidied up after they had gone to the fields.
The Green Forest Fairy Book|Loretta Ellen Brady

British Dictionary definitions for tidy

tidy

/ (ˈtaɪdɪ) /

adjective -dier or -diest

characterized by or indicating neatness and order

informal considerablea tidy sum of money

verb -dies, -dying or -died

(when intr, usually foll by up) to put (things) in order; neaten

noun plural -dies

a small container in which odds and ends are kept
sink tidy a container with holes in the bottom, kept in the sink to retain rubbish that might clog the plug hole

mainly US and Canadian an ornamental protective covering for the back or arms of a chair

Derived forms of tidy

tidily, adverbtidiness, noun

Word Origin for tidy

C13 (in the sense: timely, seasonable, excellent): from tide 1 + -y 1; related to Dutch tijdig timely

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

tidy

OPPOSITES FOR tidy

Origin of tidy

OTHER WORDS FROM tidy

Words related to tidy

How to use tidy in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for tidy

Derived forms of tidy

Word Origin for tidy