What does "clutter" mean?
A confused disordered jumble of things.
Clutter
/ˈklʌtɚ/ name, noun, verb
name, noun, verb ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A confused disordered jumble of things.
- Grammar: clutter is listed as name, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: jumble, a mass of, a world of, abound.
- Useful contrasts: aesthetic feature, calm energy classroom, clear graph.
- Usage evidence: I try not to clutter up my room with junk.
How to use "clutter"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "clutter" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "clutter" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "clutter" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "clutter" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "clutter" is acting as name, noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "jumble" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "clutter", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A confused disordered jumble of things. uncountable
"He saw what a Clutter there was with Huge, Over-grown Pots, Pans, and Spits."
- 2 unwanted echoes that interfere with the observation of signals on a radar screen wordnet
- 3 Background echoes, from clouds etc., on a radar or sonar screen. uncountable
- 4 a confused multitude of things wordnet
- 5 Alternative form of clowder (“collective noun for cats”). alt-of, alternative, countable
"Organizing ghost stories is like herding a clutter of cats: the phenomenon resists organization and classification."
Show 2 more definitions
- 6 Clatter; confused noise. countable, obsolete, uncountable
"October 14 1718, John Arbuthnot, letter to Jonathan Swift I hardly heard a word of news or politicks, except a little clutter about sending some impertinent presidents du parliament to prison"
- 7 A Sperner family. countable, uncountable
Verb
- 1 To fill something with clutter. transitive
"That means about $165 billion was spent not on drumming up business, but on annoying people, creating landfill and cluttering spam filters."
- 2 fill a space in a disorderly way wordnet
- 3 To clot or coagulate, like blood. intransitive, obsolete
"It battereth and cluttereth into knots and balls"
- 4 To make a confused noise; to bustle. intransitive
"It [the goose] clutter'd here, it chuckled there; / It stirr'd the old wife's mettle: / She shifted in her elbow-chair, / And hurl'd the pan and kettle."
- 5 To utter words hurriedly, especially (but not exclusively) as a speech disorder (compare cluttering). intransitive, transitive
Proper Noun
- 1 A surname.
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
aesthetic featurecalm energy classroomclear graphformatted report
Example
"I try not to clutter up my room with junk."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "clutter"?
Common synonyms include: jumble, a mass of, a world of, abound, abound with, add.
How do you use "clutter" in a sentence?
I try not to clutter up my room with junk.
How do you pronounce "clutter"?
Pronounced /ˈklʌtɚ/.
Etymology
From Middle English cloteren (“to form clots; coagulate; heap on”), from clot (“clot”), equivalent to clot + -er (frequentative suffix). Compare Welsh cludair (“heap, pile”), cludeirio (“to heap”).