Neat — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective adverb noun /ˈnēt/

Meaning & Definition of Neat

Neat (adjective)

  1. free from dirt and disorder, habitually clean and orderly
  2. marked by skill or ingenuity, adroit
  3. precise, systematic

Neat (adverb)

  1. in a neat manner
  2. without admixture or dilution, straight

Neat (noun)

  1. the common domestic bovine (Bos taurus)

Neat (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. being clean and in good order

    "keep the kitchen neat so the cook doesn't have to work around piles of dirty dishes"

    similar: antiseptic, bandbox, crisp, groomed, kempt, orderly, picked up, prim, shipshape, smug, snug, tidied, tidy, trig, trim, uncluttered, well-groomed
    related: dapper, natty, saucy, smart, spiffy, spruce, immaculate, spick-and-span, spotless, rakish, sleek, streamlined, taut, organized, straight, systematic
    opposite: disheveled, disordered, disorderly, messy, mussed, mussy, sloven, slovenly, unkempt, untidy
    near: scruffy, seedy, shabby, slipshod, sloppy, dirty, filthy, foul, nasty, sordid, squalid, dowdy, frowsy, rumpled, tousled, tumbled, disorganized, unsystematic

  2. free from added matter

    "I like my soda neat, so skip the ice cubes"

    similar: absolute, fine, plain, pure, purified, refined, straight, unadulterated, unalloyed, undiluted, unmixed
    related: clarified, filtered, clean, fresh, taintless, uncontaminated, uncorrupted, undefiled, unpolluted, untainted, rendered, tried, concentrated, full-bodied, strong, uncombined
    opposite: adulterated, alloyed, diluted, impure, mixed
    near: befouled, besmirched, contaminated, corrupted, debased, defiled, fouled, polluted, soiled, spoiled, sullied, tainted, unclarified, amalgamated, blended, coalesced, combined, commingled, compounded, incorporated, intermingled, intermixed, merged, mingled, conjoined, fused, joined, linked, united, cheapened, doctored, watered-down

  3. of the very best kind

    "that new skateboard park is neat"

    similar: A-OK, A1, awesome, bang-up, banner, beautiful, blue-chip, blue-ribbon, boffo, bonny (chiefly British), boss (slang), brag, brave, bully, bumper, capital, choice, classic, cool (slang), corking, crackerjack, cracking, dandy, divine, dope (slang), down (slang), dynamite, excellent, fab, fabulous, famous, fantabulous (slang), fantastic, fine, first-class, first-rate, first-string, five-star, four-star, frontline, gangbusters, gilt-edged, gone (slang), grand, great, groovy, heavenly, high-class, hot, hype (slang), immense, jim-dandy, keen, lovely, marvelous, mean, nifty, noble, number one, numero uno, out-of-sight (slang), par excellence, peachy, peachy keen, phat (slang), prime, primo (slang), prize, prizewinning, quality, radical (slang), righteous (slang), sensational, slick, splendid, stellar, sterling, superb, superior, superlative, supernal, swell, terrific, tip-top, top, top-notch, top-of-the-line, top-shelf, topflight, topping (chiefly British), unsurpassed, wizard (chiefly British), wonderful, out of this world, too much
    related: acceptable, adequate, all right, decent, good, OK, passable, satisfactory, tolerable, better, exceptional, fancy, high-grade, high-test, premium, select, special, superfine, classical, standard, traditional
    opposite: atrocious, awful, execrable, lousy, pathetic, poor, rotten, terrible, vile, wretched
    near: bad, inferior, low-grade, substandard, unsatisfactory, mediocre, middling, second-class, second-rate

  4. following a set method, arrangement, or pattern

    "regime change is rarely a neat process, particularly in a country where a coup d'état is more likely to occur than an election"

    similar: methodical, orderly, organized, regular, systematic, systematized
    related: ordered, regularized, standardized, structured, accurate, clocklike, correct, exact, precise, detailed, specific
    opposite: disorganized, haphazard, hit-or-miss, immethodical, irregular, nonsystematic, patternless, planless, systemless, unsystematic
    near: chaotic, disordered, disorderly, shambolic (chiefly British), unordered

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Neat

The most common words with a similar meaning to Neat:

Slang: boss, cool, dope, down, fantabulous, gone, hype, out-of-sight, phat, primo, radical, righteous
Chiefly British: bonny, topping, wizard
antiseptic, bandbox, crisp, groomed, kempt, orderly, picked up, prim, shipshape, smug, snug, tidied, tidy, trig, trim, uncluttered, well-groomed, absolute, fine, plain, pure, purified, refined, straight, unadulterated, unalloyed, undiluted, unmixed, A-OK, A1, awesome, bang-up, banner, beautiful, blue-chip, blue-ribbon, boffo, brag, brave, bully

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Neat

Words with the opposite meaning of Neat:

disheveled, disordered, disorderly, messy, mussed, mussy, sloven, slovenly, unkempt, untidy, adulterated, alloyed, diluted, impure, mixed, atrocious, awful, execrable, lousy, pathetic, poor, rotten, terrible, vile, wretched, disorganized, haphazard, hit-or-miss, immethodical, irregular

Related Words for Neat

dapper, natty, saucy, smart, spiffy, spruce, immaculate, spick-and-span, spotless, rakish, sleek, streamlined, taut, clarified, filtered, clean, fresh, taintless, uncontaminated, uncorrupted, undefiled, unpolluted, untainted, rendered, tried, concentrated, full-bodied, strong, uncombined, acceptable

Near Antonyms of Neat

scruffy, seedy, shabby, slipshod, sloppy, dirty, filthy, foul, nasty, sordid, squalid, dowdy, frowsy, rumpled, tousled, tumbled, befouled, besmirched, contaminated, corrupted, debased, defiled, fouled, polluted, soiled, spoiled, sullied, tainted, unclarified, amalgamated

Word Forms of Neat

Inflections: neater, neatest, neats

Derived words: neatly (adverb), neatness (noun)

Origin & Etymology of Neat

Middle French net, from Latin nitidus bright, neat, from nitēre to shine; probably akin to Middle Irish níam luster

First known use: 15th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Neat

Words & Phrases Containing Neat

neat's-foot oil, neat and tidy, neat freak

Frequently Asked Questions about Neat

What does "Neat" mean?

"Neat" means free from dirt and disorder, habitually clean and orderly. As an an adjective, an adverb and a noun, it is defined as: free from dirt and disorder, habitually clean and orderly. It has 4 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Neat"?

Other words for "Neat" include antiseptic, bandbox, crisp, groomed, kempt, orderly, picked up and prim. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Neat" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Neat"?

There are 188 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Neat". Common alternatives include antiseptic, bandbox, crisp, groomed, kempt, orderly, picked up, prim, shipshape and smug.

What is a slang word for "Neat"?

Slang words for "Neat" include boss, cool, dope, down, fantabulous and gone.

What is the opposite of "Neat"?

Antonyms of "Neat" include disheveled, disordered, disorderly, messy, mussed, mussy, sloven and slovenly. Near antonyms include scruffy, seedy, shabby and slipshod.

How do you use "Neat" in a sentence?

Examples of "Neat" in a sentence: "keep the kitchen neat so the cook doesn't have to work around piles of dirty dishes"; "I like my soda neat, so skip the ice cubes"; "that new skateboard park is neat".

Is "Neat" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Neat" can be used as an adjective, an adverb and a noun, depending on the context.

Is "Neat" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As a B2-level word, "Neat" is typical of Cambridge B2 First (FCE), IELTS band 5.5–6.5, TOEFL iBT 72–94, PTE Academic 59–75, TOEIC Listening & Reading 785+.