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

The expansion of the humanitarian system was untidy and asymmetric, driven by the organizational self-interest of the bigger international NGOs and UN agencies involved in crisis response and their desire for greater market share. —Time, 26 Feb. 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

Commoners’ untidy open fields are returning to contemporary agricultural practice. —Literary Hub, 19 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