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
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Recent Examples of untidy
Inspired by the cognitive dissonance that Joan Didion experienced in Miami, Nick León creates a refreshingly untidy tapestry of the city’s dance music on A Tropical Entropy.
—
Pitchfork, 2 Dec. 2025
For all their control, Chelsea remain most vulnerable when the game becomes untidy.
—Sukhman Singh, New York Times, 1 Nov. 2025
Many plants, shrubs, and trees on the three-acre landscape had been ravaged by back-to-back hurricanes, while others had become overgrown and untidy.
—Miranda Crowell, Better Homes & Gardens, 15 Oct. 2025
For those with untidy cleaning closets like myself, this nifty holder mounts to your wall and is designed with special grips to hold your go-to broom, tried-and-true mop, and more.
—Alicia Geigel, Southern Living, 7 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for untidy
Pitchfork, 2 Dec. 2025
For all their control, Chelsea remain most vulnerable when the game becomes untidy.
—Sukhman Singh, New York Times, 1 Nov. 2025
Many plants, shrubs, and trees on the three-acre landscape had been ravaged by back-to-back hurricanes, while others had become overgrown and untidy.
—Miranda Crowell, Better Homes & Gardens, 15 Oct. 2025
For those with untidy cleaning closets like myself, this nifty holder mounts to your wall and is designed with special grips to hold your go-to broom, tried-and-true mop, and more.
—Alicia Geigel, Southern Living, 7 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for untidy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for untidy
Adjective
-
Pfizer outbid Novo Nordisk for Metsera in a messy M&A fight last year that involved dueling lawsuits and anticompetitive claims.—
Rohan Goswami,
semafor.com,
7 May 2026
-
While mixtures of two or three metals were messy and unstable, the five-metal combination paradoxically self-organized into a single, uniform product, streamlining 31 possible chemical outcomes into a single, precise nanocrystal.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
7 May 2026
Adjective
-
The Marlins were sloppy early, committing two fielding errors (by left fielder Stowers and pitcher Anthony Bender).—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
6 May 2026
-
Now, that doesn’t excuse Amad’s extremely sloppy pass, straight to Dominik Szoboszlai, who ran through unchecked to score.—
Michael Cox,
New York Times,
4 May 2026
Adjective
-
The chaotic family life was cited when Cary Stayner pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to the tourists’ murders; he was found mentally fit to stand trial.—
Bay Area News Group,
Mercury News,
4 May 2026
-
The start turned chaotic in seconds when Verstappen, who along with Leclerc almost immediately passed Antonelli, proceeded to completely pirouette, recovering but quickly finding himself in ninth.—
Viju Mathew,
Robb Report,
4 May 2026
Adjective
-
Towering at seven feet, with unblinking googly eyes, a shaggy blaze of orange fur and a gloriously unkempt beard, Gritty looks like pure chaos brought to life.—
Samantha Agate,
Charlotte Observer,
28 Apr. 2026
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Clothes that don’t fit well tend to lose their shape, making the rest of your outfit feel unkempt by midday.—
Gabrielle Porcaro,
Travel + Leisure,
18 Apr. 2026
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
Adjective
-
Yellowing leaves can indicate overwatering, while wrinkled leaves can point to underwatering.—
Madeline Buiano,
Martha Stewart,
8 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Working with these doors on a cluttered workbench is like sitting in the middle seat of an airplane and fighting for the armrest with the passengers on either side.—
Michael Lydick,
PC Magazine,
2 May 2026
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With cathedral ceilings, select pieces of midcentury-modern furniture, and exposed wood beams, the interiors are comfortable without being cluttered.—
Sarah Wood González,
Architectural Digest,
30 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Inside, piles of white fiber extracted from the plants’ leaves awaited combing, destined for everything from handbags to the shaggy chandeliers that have made Damman a rising design star.—
Ingrid Abramovitch,
Architectural Digest,
6 May 2026
-
Mix with a fork, adding more ice water by the tablespoonful as needed, just until a shaggy dough comes together.—
Andy Baraghani,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
6 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Untidy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/untidy. Accessed 9 May. 2026.
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