tidy
Americanadjective
verb (used with or without object)
noun
-
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
-
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
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Adjectives
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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tidysimple
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tidiessimple
-
have tidiedperfect
-
has tidiedperfect
-
am tidyingprogressive
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are tidyingprogressive
-
is tidyingprogressive
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have been tidyingperfect progressive
-
has been tidyingperfect progressive
Past
-
tidiedsimple
-
had tidiedperfect
-
was tidyingprogressive
-
were tidyingprogressive
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had been tidyingperfect progressive
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.
Owen Derbyshire from Keep Wales Tidy urged the new Welsh government to press ahead with the plans, and accused the drinks industry of "misinformation".
From BBC • Jun. 29, 2026
Tidy in tight spaces but a tough game to come into with so many changes.
From BBC • Jun. 27, 2026
Tidy narratives don’t match the gray messiness of divorce.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 21, 2026
In Newham, east London, research carried out with the environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy found the approach reduced fly-tipping significantly at some targeted sites.
From BBC • May 28, 2026
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.
