What does "tidy" mean?
A container or other device for storing or organizing loose items in a tidy fashion.
Tidy
/ˈtaɪ.di/ adj, intj, name, noun, verb, slang
adj, intj, name, noun, verb, slang ·Very common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A container or other device for storing or organizing loose items in a tidy fashion.
- Grammar: tidy is listed as adj, intj, name, noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: acceptable, adequate, admissible, all right.
- Useful contrasts: messy, slipshod, unkempt.
- Usage evidence: The cottage was clean and tidy.
How to use "tidy"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "tidy" 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 "tidy" 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 "tidy" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "tidy" 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 "tidy" is acting as adj, intj, name, noun, verb, slang 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 "acceptable" 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 "tidy", 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 container or other device for storing or organizing loose items in a tidy fashion. in-compounds
"desk tidy; sink tidy; cable tidy"
- 2 receptacle that holds odds and ends (as sewing materials) wordnet
- 3 A cover, often of tatting, drawn work, or other ornamental work, for the back of a chair, the arms of a sofa, etc.
- 4 A child's pinafore. dated
"A much coarser cotton, according to the fancy of the worker, may be used for the trimmings of night dresses, petticoats, D'Oyleys, tidies, etc."
- 5 The wren.
"The Tydie for her notes as delicate as they"
Verb
- 1 To make tidy; to neaten.
- 2 put (things or places) in order wordnet
Adjective
- 1 Arranged neatly and in order.
"She always kept her desk immaculately tidy; nothing was ever out of place."
- 2 Not messy; neat and controlled.
"Keep Britain tidy by picking up litter."
- 3 Satisfactory; comfortable. colloquial
- 4 Generous, considerable. colloquial
"The scheme made a tidy profit."
- 5 In good time; at the right time; timely; seasonable; opportune; favourable; fit; suitable. obsolete
"if weather be fair and tidy"
Show 3 more definitions
- 6 Brave; smart; skillful; fine; good. obsolete
- 7 Appropriate or suitable as regards occasion, circumstances, arrangement, or order.
- 8 Normalized in a certain way that optimizes for data analysis.
Adjective
- 1 large in amount or extent or degree wordnet
- 2 marked by order and cleanliness in appearance or habits wordnet
- 3 (of hair) neat and tidy wordnet
Intj
- 1 Expression of agreement or positive acknowledgement, usually in reply to a question; great, fine. Wales
Proper Noun
- 1 A surname.
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"The cottage was clean and tidy."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "tidy"?
Common synonyms include: acceptable, adequate, admissible, all right, alright, amount.
How do you use "tidy" in a sentence?
The cottage was clean and tidy.
How do you pronounce "tidy"?
Pronounced /ˈtaɪ.di/.
Etymology
From Middle English tidy, tydy, tidi (“timely, seasonal, opportune”), from tide (“time”) + -y. Cognate with Saterland Frisian tiedig (“timely, early”), Dutch tijdig (“timely”), German Low German tiedig (“timely”), German zeitig (“seasonal, timely”), Danish tidig (“timely”), Swedish tidig (“timely”).