clutter

C1 Topic:Word Formation & Derivatives

US /ˈklʌtɚ/ UK /ˈklʌtə(ɹ)/ See IPA manual

Freq #24573

Meanings

1

noun
A messy, disordered collection of things

I can't find anything on my desk because of all the clutter.
2

verb
To fill a space with too many things in a messy way

Old boxes and broken toys cluttered the garage.

Verb forms

Verb forms are not available for this word yet.

Multiword verbs with clutter

clutter up Phrasal verb C1

to fill a place with so many things that it becomes untidy

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · a messy, disordered... jumble

Word family

Forms clutteredclutteringclutters

Derived forms anticlutterbioclutterclutter-freecluttercorecluttererclutterfreeclutterlessclutterouscluttersomeclutterycyberclutterdeclutter

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

clutter up
to fill a place with so many things that it becomes untidy

Verb + adverb

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”).

cloteren Middle English

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Word Formation & Derivatives General Vocabulary

External links

# clutter

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C1
**Part of speech:** noun, verb
**IPA (US):** /ˈklʌtɚ/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈklʌtə(ɹ)/
**Frequency rank:** 24573

## Meanings
1. A messy, disordered collection of things
2. To fill a space with too many things in a messy way

## Examples
- I can't find anything on my desk because of all the clutter.
- Old boxes and broken toys cluttered the garage.

## Derived Forms
- anticlutter
- bioclutter
- clutter-free
- cluttercore
- clutterer
- clutterfree
- clutterless
- clutterous
- cluttersome
- cluttery
- cyberclutter
- declutter

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: cloteren

## 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”).

## AI Etymology
Clutter is 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”). In present-day use, it can mean a messy, disordered collection of things, or to fill a space with too many things in a messy way. Derived formations include anticlutter, bioclutter, clutter-free, cluttercore, and clutterer.

## Topics
- Word Formation & Derivatives
- General Vocabulary

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