tidy
gb/tˈaɪdi/ us/tˈaɪdi/
A2
English
Senses
0 senses
adjective
A2
property
1
neat and in order
Clean and organized, not messy.
Usage pattern:
[place/thing/person] is tidy
Common mistake:
Learners often use tidy to mean 'washed' or 'disinfected'; tidy mainly means 'not messy' (things are in the right place).
Synonyms
neat (Common near-synonym; often about appearance or arrangement.)
|
orderly (More formal; emphasizes clear order.)
|
organized (Emphasizes a planned system, not just lack of mess.)
Antonyms
messy (Not neat; things are scattered or dirty-looking.)
|
untidy (Direct opposite; lacking tidiness.)
Collocations
a tidy room
|a tidy desk
|a tidy kitchen
|a tidy house
|keep (something) tidy
|neat and tidy
|a tidy appearance
|tidy hair
|tidy clothes
|tidy handwriting
Themes
daily_life
|home
|appearance
Examples
- Her desk is always tidy, with everything in its place.
- Try to keep the kitchen tidy while you cook.
- He arrived in a tidy shirt and clean shoes.
Learner examples
- My room is tidy today.
- Please keep your desk tidy.
Verb
A2
action
2
make a place neat
To clean up and put things in the right place.
Usage pattern:
tidy [room/place] (up); tidy [things]
Common mistake:
Don’t confuse tidy with clean: you can tidy without washing (for example, by putting clothes away).
Synonyms
clean up (Often includes removing dirt as well as putting things away.)
|
straighten (Focuses on arranging things neatly, often quickly.)
|
organize (Suggests a more systematic arrangement, sometimes long-term.)
Antonyms
mess up (To make a place untidy.)
|
clutter (To fill a space with too many scattered things.)
Collocations
tidy the room
|tidy the house
|tidy your desk
|tidy your toys
|tidy the kitchen
|tidy up the mess
|tidy up after dinner
|tidy up quickly
|tidy away clothes
|tidy the living room
Themes
daily_life
|home
|cleaning
Examples
- Could you tidy the living room before guests arrive?
- I tidied my desk and threw away old papers.
- We need to tidy up the kitchen after dinner.
Learner examples
- I will tidy my room now.
- She tidies the kitchen every evening.
Verb
B1
action
3
make yourself look neat
To make your hair or clothes neat.
Usage pattern:
tidy yourself (up); tidy [your hair/clothes]
Common mistake:
Learners may overuse tidy for washing; tidy yourself up can mean small fixes, not necessarily a full shower.
Synonyms
freshen up (Often includes washing your face or changing clothes.)
|
straighten up (Often about clothing or posture; quick improvement.)
Antonyms
dishevel (To make hair or clothes look untidy.)
Collocations
tidy yourself up
|tidy your hair
|tidy your shirt
|tidy your appearance
|tidy up before leaving
|tidy up in the bathroom
Themes
appearance
|daily_life
Examples
- He went to the restroom to tidy his hair.
- Give me a minute to tidy myself up before we go.
- She tidied her jacket and walked into the meeting.
Learner examples
- I need to tidy my hair.
- She tidied herself up quickly.
adjective
B2
property
4
simple and well-organized
Simple, clear, and put together well.
Usage pattern:
a tidy [solution/argument/design/summary]
Common mistake:
This meaning is not about cleaning; it describes ideas, plans, or designs.
Synonyms
neat (Very close; often used for solutions or ideas.)
|
elegant (Suggests pleasing simplicity and skill.)
|
well-structured (More formal; emphasizes organization of parts.)
Antonyms
messy (Disorganized or unclear in structure.)
|
clumsy (Awkward or poorly put together.)
Collocations
a tidy solution
|a tidy answer
|a tidy summary
|a tidy argument
|a tidy layout
|a tidy design
|tidy code
|a tidy process
|a tidy spreadsheet
Themes
education
|work
|writing
|technology
Examples
- That’s a tidy solution to a complicated problem.
- The proposal is tidy and easy to follow.
- They rewrote the script into a tidy piece of code.
Learner examples
- This is a tidy plan.
- Her explanation was tidy and clear.
adjective
B1
property
5
small and neatly arranged
Small and neat.
Usage pattern:
a tidy little [house/garden/kitchen]
Common mistake:
Often used with little; it does not always mean 'cleaned'—it can simply describe size and neatness.
Synonyms
compact (Emphasizes small size and efficient use of space.)
|
neat (Emphasizes a pleasing, orderly look.)
Antonyms
sprawling (Large and spread out.)
|
bulky (Large and awkward in shape.)
Collocations
a tidy little house
|a tidy little garden
|a tidy little apartment
|a tidy bundle
|a tidy stack
|a tidy row
Themes
daily_life
|home
Examples
- They live in a tidy little apartment near the station.
- She planted herbs in a tidy row along the wall.
- He made a tidy stack of the documents.
Learner examples
- We have a tidy little kitchen.
- I made a tidy pile of books.
adjective
informal
B2
quantity
6
fairly large amount (informal)
A surprisingly large amount (often money).
Usage pattern:
a tidy [sum/profit/amount]
Common mistake:
This meaning is idiomatic and usually appears before words like sum or profit; it does not mean 'neat money.'
Synonyms
substantial (More neutral/formal; emphasizes size and importance.)
|
considerable (Neutral; stresses that the amount is large.)
|
handsome (Slightly old-fashioned; often collocates with profit/sum.)
Antonyms
small (Not large in amount.)
|
negligible (So small it is not worth considering.)
Collocations
a tidy sum
|a tidy profit
|a tidy amount
|a tidy fee
|a tidy payout
|make a tidy profit
Themes
money
|business
Examples
- They sold the house for a tidy sum.
- She made a tidy profit from the investment.
- The company paid a tidy fee to secure the contract.
Learner examples
- He earned a tidy sum.
- They made a tidy profit.
Grammar
Dictionary form
tidy
IPA
GB/tˈaɪdi/
US/tˈaɪdi/
Syllables & stress
tidy (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (tidy)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: tidy
- Comparative: tidier
- Superlative: tidiest
Verb
- Base: tidy
- 3rd Person Singular: tidies
- Present Participle: tidying
- Past: tidied
Expressions
keep (something) tidy
1/kˈip sˈʌmθɪŋ tˈaɪdi/
fixed phrase
maintain neatness
To make sure something stays neat.
Examples
- It’s easier to clean if you keep the kitchen tidy every day.
- They try to keep the shared office tidy.
- Please keep your area tidy during the workshop.
tidy away
1/tˈaɪdi əwˈeɪ/
phrasal verb
put things away neatly
To put things back where they belong.
Examples
- She tidied away the toys before dinner.
- Please tidy your clothes away instead of leaving them on the chair.
- We tidied the dishes away and wiped the counters.
tidy up
1/tˈaɪdi ˈʌp/
phrasal verb
clean and put in order
To clean and make a room neat.
Examples
- Let’s tidy up before your parents get home.
- I’ll cook if you tidy up afterward.
- Can you tidy up your room this afternoon?
tidy up after someone
1/tˈaɪdi ˈʌp ˈæftɚ sˈʌmwˌʌn/
fixed phrase
clean someone else’s mess
To clean what another person left messy.
Examples
- I’m tired of tidying up after the kids all day.
- He never cooks because he hates tidying up after other people.
- If you make a mess, you should tidy up after yourself.
tidy up your act
1/tˈaɪdi ˈʌp jˈʊɹ ˈækt/
idiom
informal
improve your behavior
To behave better and be more responsible.
Examples
- If you want to keep this job, you need to tidy up your act.
- The coach told the team to tidy up their act before the next match.
- He promised to tidy up his act and stop missing deadlines.
tidy yourself up
1/tˈaɪdi jʊɹsˈɛlf ˈʌp/
fixed phrase
make yourself look neat
To make your hair or clothes neat.
Examples
- Go and tidy yourself up—you’ve got food on your face.
- She tidied herself up before the video call.
- He told the kids to tidy themselves up for the family photo.