tidy

1 of 3

adjective

ti·​dy ˈtī-dē How to pronounce tidy (audio)
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 adverb
tidiness 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

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
In this arrangement, the firm can staff the project to meet quality, professional development and efficiency goals, and with good project management, still earn a tidy profit. Danny Ertel, Forbes, 13 Sep. 2024 Make a tidy first impression by cleaning this high-traffic accessory. Abby Wolner, Better Homes & Gardens, 9 Sep. 2024
Verb
No wonder a tidying expert seemed like the right person to listen to. Jenny Albertini, Contributor, CNBC, 10 July 2024 There has been an influx of manicure trends that enlist drills (or e-files) to clean the nail bed and tidy up cuticles, such as the popular Russian manicure and Ukrainian manicure. Jacqueline Kilikita, refinery29.com, 9 July 2024
Noun
Compact yet spacious, this all-in-one bag is a travel essential for keeping your tech tidy, keeping you less stressed. Mia Meltzer, Rolling Stone, 3 July 2024 Back at the Webber Cemetery, beneath the border wall, Ms. Bravo tidies flowers that tipped over in the wind. Sarah Matusek, The Christian Science Monitor, 18 June 2024 See all Example Sentences for tidy 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'tidy.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of tidy was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near tidy

Cite this Entry

“Tidy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tidy. Accessed 20 Sep. 2024.

Kids Definition

tidy

1 of 3 adjective
ti·​dy ˈtīd-ē How to pronounce tidy (audio)
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

More from Merriam-Webster on tidy

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!