adv

cleanly

KLEHN-lee

adv

In a clean, neat manner, without mess.

"The blade sliced cleanly through the rope."

"She cleanly executed every step of the routine."

adj

Habitually clean; practicing good hygiene.

"He's a famously cleanly person, never a thing out of place."

How to Use Cleanly

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishNeatly, without mess — or, as an adjective, someone tidy and hygienic by nature.

Common mistake

As an adjective, "cleanly" (KLEN-lee) is rare in modern speech; the adverb ("cut cleanly," "won cleanly") is the common use today.

Word Forms

cleanlier comparative, more cleanly comparative, cleanlier comparative, more cleanly comparative, cleanliest superlative, most cleanly superlative, cleanliest superlative, most cleanly superlative

Study it as flashcards or scroll it in Flow — saved to your collection.

Test yourself on “cleanly” A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage →

Fill the Gap

Can you complete this real example?

The blade sliced _____ through the rope.

Antonyms

uncleanly dirty

Related Words

clean dirty defame obscene unclean purely salacious

Rhymes for cleanly

manly womanly humanly gentlemanly

See all rhymes for cleanly →

People Also Searched

uncleanly dirty clean defame obscene unclean purely salacious