Tidy — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective verb noun /ˈtī-dē/ ti·dy

Meaning & Definition of Tidy

Tidy (adjective)

  1. neat and orderly in appearance or habits, well ordered and cared for
  2. methodical, precise
  3. large, substantial

Tidy (verb)

  1. to put in order
  2. to make things tidy

Tidy (noun)

  1. a usually compartmentalized receptacle for various small objects
  2. a piece of fancywork used to protect the back, arms, or headrest of a chair or sofa from wear or soil

Tidy (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. being clean and in good order

    "could easily find everything on her tidy desk"

    similar: antiseptic, bandbox, crisp, groomed, kempt, neat, orderly, picked up, prim, shipshape, smug, snug, tidied, 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. of a size greater than average of its kind

    "paid a tidy sum for a painting that may not even be a genuine Titian"

    similar: big, biggish, boxcar, bulky, considerable, goodly, grand, great, handsome, hefty, hulking, husky, large, largish, outsize, oversize, sizable, substantial, voluminous
    related: astronomical, Brobdingnagian, bumper, Bunyanesque, cavernous, colossal, cosmic, cyclopean, elephantine, enormous, galactic, gargantuan, gigantic, gross, hellacious, herculean, heroic, Himalayan, huge, humongous, immense, jumbo, king-size, leviathan, major, mammoth, massive, monolithic, monstrous, monumental, mountainous, pharaonic, prodigious, staggering, stupendous, super, super-duper, supersized, titanic, tremendous, vast, vasty, walloping, whacking, whopping, excessive, exorbitant, extravagant, extreme, immoderate, inordinate, abundant, ample, appreciable, copious, plentiful, fat, thick, capacious, commodious, roomy, spacious
    opposite: bantam, dinky, dwarf, dwarfish, little, puny, shrimpy, small, smallish, undersized
    near: diminutive, half-pint, infinitesimal, Lilliputian, little bitty, microminiature, microscopic, mini, miniature, minuscule, minute, pint-size, pocket-size, pygmy, teensy, teensy-weensy, teeny, teeny-weeny, tiny, wee, petite, slender, slight, slim, thin

  3. sufficiently large in size, amount, or number to merit attention

    "signed a three-year contract for a tidy amount"

    similar: biggish, considerable, good, goodly, handsome, healthy, largish, major, respectable, significant, sizable, substantial, substantive
    related: big, bulky, hefty, hulking, outsize, oversize, voluminous, astronomical, bumper, colossal, elephantine, enormous, gigantic, great, herculean, huge, immense, jumbo, king-size, mammoth, massive, monstrous, monumental, prodigious, titanic, tremendous, whopping
    opposite: inconsequential, inconsiderable, insignificant, insubstantial, negligible, nominal
    near: measly, minute, paltry, petty, picayune, picayunish, piddling, puny, trifling, trivial, unimportant, marginal, meager, slight, little, small, tiny, undersized, bitty, diminutive, miniature, pint-size, pocket, pocket-size, pygmy, smallish

Tidy (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. as in pick up, unclutter

    similar: pick up, straighten (up), unclutter, brighten, deodorize, freshen, spruce (up), sweeten, brush, comb, dry-clean, dust, launder, mop, muck (out), rinse, scour, scrub, shampoo, sponge, swab, sweep, vacuum, wash, wipe, disinfect, sanitize, decontaminate, purge, purify, clean, cleanse, deterge, GI, turn out
    opposite: besmirch, dirty, foul, soil, spot, stain, sully, begrime, muddy, defile, pollute, taint, blacken, discolor

Related Entry: Tidy (up) (verb)

Tidy (up) is a different word from Tidy. The synonyms below are for tidy (up), not for tidy.

  1. to make a place neat and orderly by removing extraneous stuff

    "just give me a minute to tidy up before you bring company over"

    similar: clean (up), pick up, clean house, set straight
    related: houseclean, housekeep, clean (off), neaten, police (up), straighten (up), turn out, unclutter, arrange, order
    near: clutter, disarrange, mess (up)

  2. to make neat

    "we'll work more efficiently if we tidy up our work area after completing the first phase of our experiment"

    similar: neaten, pick up, redd (up or out) (chiefly dialect), spruce (up), straighten (up or out), trim
    related: arrange, array, classify, codify, dispose, draw up, marshal, order, organize, range, systematize
    near: disarrange, disarray, discompose, dishevel, disorder, disorganize, disrupt, disturb, jumble, mess (up), mix (up), muddle, muss, rumple, scramble, shuffle, tousle, tumble, upset

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Tidy

The most common words with a similar meaning to Tidy:

antiseptic, bandbox, crisp, groomed, kempt, neat, orderly, picked up, prim, shipshape, smug, snug, tidied, trig, trim, uncluttered, well-groomed, big, biggish, boxcar, bulky, considerable, goodly, grand, great, handsome, hefty, hulking, husky, large, largish, outsize, oversize, sizable, substantial, voluminous, good, healthy, major, respectable

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Tidy

Words with the opposite meaning of Tidy:

disheveled, disordered, disorderly, messy, mussed, mussy, sloven, slovenly, unkempt, untidy, bantam, dinky, dwarf, dwarfish, little, puny, shrimpy, small, smallish, undersized, inconsequential, inconsiderable, insignificant, insubstantial, negligible, nominal, besmirch, dirty, foul, soil

Related Words for Tidy

dapper, natty, saucy, smart, spiffy, spruce, immaculate, spick-and-span, spotless, rakish, sleek, streamlined, taut, organized, straight, systematic, astronomical, Brobdingnagian, bumper, Bunyanesque, cavernous, colossal, cosmic, cyclopean, elephantine, enormous, galactic, gargantuan, gigantic, gross

Near Antonyms of Tidy

scruffy, seedy, shabby, slipshod, sloppy, filthy, nasty, sordid, squalid, dowdy, frowsy, rumpled, tousled, tumbled, disorganized, unsystematic, diminutive, half-pint, infinitesimal, Lilliputian, little bitty, microminiature, microscopic, mini, miniature, minuscule, minute, pint-size, pocket-size, pygmy

Word Forms of Tidy

Inflections: tidier, tidiest, tidied, tidying, tidies

Derived words: tidily (adverb), tidiness (noun), tidier (noun)

Origin & Etymology of Tidy

Middle English, timely, in good condition, from tide time

First known use: 13th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Tidy

Words & Phrases Containing Tidy

tidy tips, tidy away, tidy up after (someone), neat and tidy

Frequently Asked Questions about Tidy

What does "Tidy" mean?

"Tidy" means neat and orderly in appearance or habits, well ordered and cared for. As an an adjective, a verb and a noun, it is defined as: neat and orderly in appearance or habits, well ordered and cared for. It has 4 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Tidy"?

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

What are different ways to say "Tidy"?

There are 154 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Tidy". Common alternatives include antiseptic, bandbox, crisp, groomed, kempt, neat, orderly, picked up, prim and shipshape.

What is the opposite of "Tidy"?

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

How do you use "Tidy" in a sentence?

Examples of "Tidy" in a sentence: "could easily find everything on her tidy desk"; "paid a tidy sum for a painting that may not even be a genuine Titian"; "signed a three-year contract for a tidy amount".

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

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

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

As an A2-level word, "Tidy" is typical of Cambridge A2 Key (KET), PTE Academic 30–42, TOEIC Listening & Reading 225+.

How do you pronounce "Tidy"?

"Tidy" is pronounced /ˈtī-dē/ and divided into syllables as ti·dy.