tidier; tidiest
1
a
: neat and orderly in appearance or habits : well ordered and cared for
b
: methodical, precise
a tidy mind
2
: large, substantial
a tidy profit
3
: adequately satisfactory : acceptable, fair
a tidy solution to their problem
4
: properly filled out : plump
tidied; tidying
: to put in order
tidy up a room
: to make things tidy
tidying up after supper
tidier
noun
plural tidies
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
Synonyms
Examples of tidy in a Sentence
Adjective
He has always been a tidy person.
She earns a tidy salary.
They paid a tidy sum for the house.
Verb
I tidied the house before they arrived.
Recent Examples on the Web
Megan Schaltegger, Peoplemag, 10 Apr. 2024
This quick climber requires shearing to keep it looking tidy when it's attached to walls and fences.
—Steve Bender, Southern Living, 8 Apr. 2024
Keeping things tidy and clean in your new home is essential, so a robot vacuum will certainly work great to help clean things up.
—Gabriela Vatu, PCMAG, 5 Apr. 2024
And just to put a tidy bow on her freshman awards season, Bueckers became the first freshman to win the Associated Press Women’s Basketball Player of the Year Award—an honor which, as a video of the announcement shows, brought her to tears.
—Lizzy Briskin, SELF, 5 Apr. 2024
Their resolutions are unconvincingly tidy, their subject matter too separate from Carmichael’s strategic solipsism.
—Alison Herman, Variety, 29 Mar. 2024
It's also outfitted with zipper enclosures and interior pockets to keep all of your belongings tidy.
—Clara McMahon, Peoplemag, 29 Mar. 2024
The Idaho bag comes in durable cotton twill or Italian leather, and a detachable pouch on the inside will keep those small essentials tidy.
—Alexis Bennett Parker, Vogue, 25 Mar. 2024
Where Yemen is lawless and violent, Oman is almost impossibly sedate and tidy, an Arab Switzerland.
—Robert F. Worth, The Atlantic, 5 Mar. 2024
Brittany Kasko, Fox News, 9 Jan. 2024
Promisingly, some terms that Shechtman says had been rejected by Shortz have since made their way into Times puzzles, including tidying whiz Marie KONDO, K-pop band BTS, and the green-tea powder MATCHA.
—Sophia Stewart, The Atlantic, 12 Mar. 2024
Now is the time to take stock of the seasonal dent in our bank accounts and tidy up the economic impact.
—Ebony Flake, Essence, 17 Jan. 2024
Spring cleaning can mean tidying up your wallet or pocketbook, as well as your closet.
—Daniel De Visé, USA TODAY, 17 Mar. 2024
The models are not simply tidying up the information that biologists are collecting.
—Carl Zimmer, New York Times, 10 Mar. 2024
Birds Many bird species also exhibit tidying up, clearing areas around their nests for visibility and landing purposes, Ha says.
—Matt Benoit, Discover Magazine, 1 Mar. 2024
In addition to authoring 2022's The Folding Book: A Complete Guide to Creating Space and Getting Organized, celebrity home organizer Janelle Cohen has tidied and beautified the closets of Jordyn Woods, Dixie D'Amelio and more stars.
—Hannah Chubb, Peoplemag, 28 Feb. 2024
Restrictive zoning and NIMBYism are a scourge but must be handled by state and municipal authorities either opening up zoning, tidying up approval processes, reining in the ability to object to the building of new housing, or some combination of the three.
—Mike McShane, Forbes, 19 Feb. 2024
Hailey Branson-Potts, Los Angeles Times, 28 Feb. 2024
Organization is critical to keeping tech tidy and charged, and this stand is the accessory to help with that.
—Rebecca Jones, Southern Living, 19 Feb. 2024
Best Amazon New Year’s Sale Vacuum Deals A new year means keeping the house tidy, and what better way to do so than with a powerful vacuum cleaner?
—Amy Schulman, Peoplemag, 1 Jan. 2024
One of the best ways to keep your home tidy is to clean your floors on a regular basis, and a reliable vacuum makes this achievable.
—Bridget Degnan, Better Homes & Gardens, 14 Oct. 2023
Compact yet spacious, this all-in-one bag is a travel essential for keeping your tech tidy, keeping you less stressed.
—Mia Meltzer, Rolling Stone, 26 Sep. 2023
Keep your home and bedroom space tidy so there are fewer items around that can collect and trap dust.
—Alyssa Hui, Verywell Health, 11 July 2023
Whether your closet is a massive walk-in with shelves and drawers galore or a tiny makeshift alternative in the corner of your bedroom, keeping this part of your space tidy is paramount.
—Jessica Cherner, House Beautiful, 28 Apr. 2023
Brett Cross tidies the memorial for his son, Uziyah Garcia, who was killed in the school massacre.
—Alicia Victoria Lozano, NBC News, 16 May 2023
Adjective
Modular Entryway Storage Cabinet This entryway storage cabinet is a game changer for keeping your jackets, shoes, and other accessories organized and tidy.
—Megan Schaltegger, Peoplemag, 10 Apr. 2024
This quick climber requires shearing to keep it looking tidy when it's attached to walls and fences.
—Steve Bender, Southern Living, 8 Apr. 2024
Keeping things tidy and clean in your new home is essential, so a robot vacuum will certainly work great to help clean things up.
—Gabriela Vatu, PCMAG, 5 Apr. 2024
And just to put a tidy bow on her freshman awards season, Bueckers became the first freshman to win the Associated Press Women’s Basketball Player of the Year Award—an honor which, as a video of the announcement shows, brought her to tears.
—Lizzy Briskin, SELF, 5 Apr. 2024
Their resolutions are unconvincingly tidy, their subject matter too separate from Carmichael’s strategic solipsism.
—Alison Herman, Variety, 29 Mar. 2024
It's also outfitted with zipper enclosures and interior pockets to keep all of your belongings tidy.
—Clara McMahon, Peoplemag, 29 Mar. 2024
The Idaho bag comes in durable cotton twill or Italian leather, and a detachable pouch on the inside will keep those small essentials tidy.
—Alexis Bennett Parker, Vogue, 25 Mar. 2024
Where Yemen is lawless and violent, Oman is almost impossibly sedate and tidy, an Arab Switzerland.
—Robert F. Worth, The Atlantic, 5 Mar. 2024
Verb
The Wales resident told the Animal News Agency that a mouse has been tidying up his space for about two months now.
—Brittany Kasko, Fox News, 9 Jan. 2024
Promisingly, some terms that Shechtman says had been rejected by Shortz have since made their way into Times puzzles, including tidying whiz Marie KONDO, K-pop band BTS, and the green-tea powder MATCHA.
—Sophia Stewart, The Atlantic, 12 Mar. 2024
Now is the time to take stock of the seasonal dent in our bank accounts and tidy up the economic impact.
—Ebony Flake, Essence, 17 Jan. 2024
Spring cleaning can mean tidying up your wallet or pocketbook, as well as your closet.
—Daniel De Visé, USA TODAY, 17 Mar. 2024
The models are not simply tidying up the information that biologists are collecting.
—Carl Zimmer, New York Times, 10 Mar. 2024
Birds Many bird species also exhibit tidying up, clearing areas around their nests for visibility and landing purposes, Ha says.
—Matt Benoit, Discover Magazine, 1 Mar. 2024
In addition to authoring 2022's The Folding Book: A Complete Guide to Creating Space and Getting Organized, celebrity home organizer Janelle Cohen has tidied and beautified the closets of Jordyn Woods, Dixie D'Amelio and more stars.
—Hannah Chubb, Peoplemag, 28 Feb. 2024
Restrictive zoning and NIMBYism are a scourge but must be handled by state and municipal authorities either opening up zoning, tidying up approval processes, reining in the ability to object to the building of new housing, or some combination of the three.
—Mike McShane, Forbes, 19 Feb. 2024
Noun
Many of the campers try to keep the property tidy, picking up trash and cutting the grass with a manual push mower.
—Hailey Branson-Potts, Los Angeles Times, 28 Feb. 2024
Organization is critical to keeping tech tidy and charged, and this stand is the accessory to help with that.
—Rebecca Jones, Southern Living, 19 Feb. 2024
Best Amazon New Year’s Sale Vacuum Deals A new year means keeping the house tidy, and what better way to do so than with a powerful vacuum cleaner?
—Amy Schulman, Peoplemag, 1 Jan. 2024
One of the best ways to keep your home tidy is to clean your floors on a regular basis, and a reliable vacuum makes this achievable.
—Bridget Degnan, Better Homes & Gardens, 14 Oct. 2023
Compact yet spacious, this all-in-one bag is a travel essential for keeping your tech tidy, keeping you less stressed.
—Mia Meltzer, Rolling Stone, 26 Sep. 2023
Keep your home and bedroom space tidy so there are fewer items around that can collect and trap dust.
—Alyssa Hui, Verywell Health, 11 July 2023
Whether your closet is a massive walk-in with shelves and drawers galore or a tiny makeshift alternative in the corner of your bedroom, keeping this part of your space tidy is paramount.
—Jessica Cherner, House Beautiful, 28 Apr. 2023
Brett Cross tidies the memorial for his son, Uziyah Garcia, who was killed in the school massacre.
—Alicia Victoria Lozano, NBC News, 16 May 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'tidy.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near tidy
Cite this Entry
“Tidy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tidy. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
tidy
1 of 3 adjective
ti·dy
ˈtīd-ē 
tidier; tidiest
1
: well ordered and cared for
2
: large, substantial
a tidy price
tidy
2 of 3 verb
tidied; tidying
1
: to put in order
tidy up the room
2
: to make things tidy
tidy
3 of 3 noun
plural tidies
: a fancy covering used to protect the back, arms, or headrest of a chair or sofa from wear or soiling
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