tidy

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

Synonyms of tidy

• clean (up)
• clean house
• set straight

Examples of tidy in a Sentence

I tidied the house before they arrived.

Recent Examples on the Web

There are various Japanese methods and techniques for tidying up our homes, ranging from those made famous by Marie Kondo, to the year-end oosouji cleaning tradition and the Lean Method for eliminating obstacles from our work and other spaces. —Veronica Cristino, Vogue, 8 June 2026

Deliver the grass, cut the grass, paint the lines, tidy it up after each game. —Jordan Campbell, New York Times, 5 June 2026

In this song, JJ and Hello Kitty compete with Benny Bunny and Pompompurin to see who can tidy up the most toys and shoes. —Parents, 5 June 2026

Always the boys looked on display, things people had tidied and set up. —Jeff Spry, Space.com, 18 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1821, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Phrases Containing tidy

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

Rhymes for tidy

• friday
• untidy

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