untidy

adjective

un·​ti·​dy ˌən-ˈtī-dē 

1

a

: not neat : slovenly

their untidy kitchen

b

: not neat or orderly in habits or procedure

untidy roommates

an untidy mind

2

a

: not neatly organized or carried out

an untidy manuscript

b

: conducive to a lack of neatness

… untidy tasks like bathing the baby …

—New Yorker

untidily

ˌən-ˈtī-də-lē 

adverb

untidiness

ˌən-ˈtī-dē-nəs 

noun

Synonyms of untidy

• messy
• chaotic
• sloppy
• littered
• cluttered
• confused
• filthy

Examples of untidy in a Sentence

I can never find anything in this untidy office.

neighbors gossiped about the woman's rumpled and untidy children

Recent Examples on the Web

In the living room, a pilot rearranges an untidy study desk. — Los Angeles Times, 31 May 2026

Worn or half-empty cereal boxes and chip bags disrupt the visual flow of open shelving and look untidy. — Colleen Sullivan, Better Homes & Gardens, 21 May 2026

An early version of the best dessert in the house was a great-tasting but untidy wet block of orange cake the size of a solitaire deck with a ping-pong scoop of chocolate ice cream. — Mike Sutter, San Antonio Express-News, 25 Feb. 2026

Trusting our usual virtual background on Teams to mask an untidy living room or kitchen table from colleagues. — Zak Doffman, Forbes.com, 24 Jan. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for untidy

• friday
• tidy

Kids Definition

untidy

adjective

un·​ti·​dy ˌən-ˈtīd-ē 

ˈən-

1

: not neat : careless

2

a

: not neatly organized or carried out

b

: marked by a lack of neatness

untidily

-ˈtīd-ᵊl-ē 

adverb

untidiness

-ˈtīd-ē-nəs 

noun