untidy

adjective

ˌən-ˈtī-dē How to pronounce untidy (audio)
Definition of untidynext
1
as in messy
lacking in order, neatness, and often cleanliness I can never find anything in this untidy office

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in sloppy
lacking neatness in dress or person neighbors gossiped about the woman's rumpled and untidy children

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of untidy 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 untidy pile of chicken eyeballs on a slab, one of them gazing directly at us, is a vignette from a butcher’s shop—and also an echo of the horrific eye injuries inflicted on Kashmiri protestors by the police’s metal-pellet shotguns. — Samanth Subramanian, New Yorker, 2 May 2026 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 See All Example Sentences for untidy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for untidy
  1. messy
  2. sloppy
  3. chaotic
  4. unkempt
  5. littered
  6. wrinkled
  7. cluttered
  8. shaggy
Adjective
  • Emmet Fraizer investigates the uncertain future (and messy recent past) of the beloved science publication.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 23 Oct. 2026
  • The request was the latest salvo in the messy war where Ghost is suing Wilson for defamation, and Wilson is pursuing counterclaims against the producers for alleged bullying, intimidation, and breach of contract.
    — Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of messy
Adjective
  • The YouTube stuff, by comparison, feels sloppy, in multiple senses of the word.
    — Josef Adalian, Vulture, 19 Oct. 2026
  • The company built a team largely made up of former journalists and social media experts who have an eye for recognizing generic, sloppy content.
    — Clare Duffy, CNN Money, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of sloppy
Adjective
  • The tightness of White’s control over his arrangements can occasionally foreclose the sense of chaotic freedom inherent to his more collaborative efforts.
    — Ryan Meehan, Pitchfork, 26 Oct. 2026
  • Now that Texas Tech has also suffered a conference loss, we are headed towards a wild final week of October, which will lead to a chaotic month of November as teams fight for a spot in the college football playoff.
    — Trey Wallace OutKick, FOXNews.com, 25 Oct. 2026
Definition of chaotic
Adjective
  • The drunken Ken spends his time on such things as warbling a karaoke version of a 4 Non Blondes song while an unkempt Ryu is a purveyor of ramen so bad even a stray cat won’t eat it.
    — Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Wendy Louis, 40, was arrested Tuesday after deputies conducted a welfare check on his home on Northeast 175th Street and found his children extremely thin and with unkempt, matted hair, the sheriff’s office said.
    — David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of unkempt
Adjective
  • In the past, her songs were so littered with personal details that listening felt voyeuristic.
    — Madison Bloom, Pitchfork, 31 Mar. 2026
  • The series does not touch on the tabloid attention that followed the Beckhams in 2004, when it was alleged that David had an affair with his personal assistant, Rebecca Loos, and the many further accusations of cheating that littered gossip columns after.
    — Scarlett Harris, Time, 9 Oct. 2025
Definition of littered
Adjective
  • Participants with wet but non-wrinkled fingers required significantly more force to maintain the same hold; their hands were working harder to do less.
    — Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 22 May 2026
  • Yellowing leaves can indicate overwatering, while wrinkled leaves can point to underwatering.
    — Madeline Buiano, Martha Stewart, 8 Feb. 2026
Definition of wrinkled
Adjective
  • With all the new tech coming across my desk lately, my workspace has become quite cluttered.
    — George Yang, PC Magazine, 19 Oct. 2026
  • Evonitz held Kara hostage in his cluttered apartment for 18 hours.
    — Lynsey Eidell, PEOPLE, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of cluttered
Adjective
  • The Roger Clubhouse has more than initially meets the eye with its all-white colorway, as the laces feature a shaggy texture and two red stitch embellishments are added at the heel.
    — Ian Servantes, Footwear News, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Aptly named after Abdalla’s character, the Allie-Cat cut echoes Allie Hayes’s effortless confidence with shaggy layers of tousled brunette waves with golden-blonde highlights that had fans swooning for more than just hot hockey players.
    — Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of shaggy

Browse Nearby Words

untidiness
untidy
untie
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Cite this Entry

“Untidy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/untidy. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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