adj
tidy
TEYE-dee
adj
1
Neatly arranged; not messy or cluttered.
"She keeps her desk perfectly tidy."
"Please make sure your room is tidy before your grandparents arrive."
2
Fairly large or considerable, especially referring to a sum of money.
"He made a tidy profit selling the old furniture."
verb
1
To make something neat and organized.
"Can you tidy up the kitchen before dinner?"
"They spent the afternoon tidying the garden."
How to Use Tidy
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishNeat and well-organized, or, informally, a decent-sized amount (especially of money).
Common pairings
tidy up
a tidy sum
keep it tidy
Word Forms
tidier comparative, tidied past tense, tidies plural, tidies singular, tidiest superlative
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Etymology
From Middle English tidy, originally meaning "timely" or "seasonable," from "tide" (time) plus "-y." The meaning shifted over centuries from "in good time" to "neat and orderly."