tidy

1 of 3

adjective

ti·​dy ˈtī-dē 

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

tidily

ˈtī-də-lē 

adverb

tidiness

ˈtī-dē-nəs 

noun

tidy

2 of 3

verb

tidied; tidying

transitive verb

: to put in order

tidy up a room

intransitive verb

: to make things tidy

tidying up after supper

tidier noun

tidy

3 of 3

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

Adjective

• antiseptic
• bandbox
• crisp
• groomed
• kempt
• neat
• orderly
• picked up
• prim
• shipshape
• smug
• snug
• tidied
• trig
• trim
• uncluttered
• well-groomed

Verb

• clean (up)
• pick up

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

Adjective

Friedrichshafen, Germany, nestled into a tidy corner of Lake Constance, is a remote destination that takes several hours from any major cities. —Julie Boatman, Robb Report, 22 Apr. 2024

Instead of a tidy family tree with straight lines added for each new generation, the birth of a new species is much more tangled in reality. —Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 17 Apr. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

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

First Known Use

Adjective

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 4

Verb

1821, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Noun

circa 1828, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing tidy

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

Kids 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