tidy

A2 Topic:Describing Qualities

US /ˈtaɪ.di/ See IPA manual

Freq #7302

Meanings

1

adj
Arranged neatly, with everything in its proper place; not messy.

She always keeps her desk tidy, with nothing out of place.
2

adj
Fairly large; considerable (used of an amount of money).

The shop made a tidy profit last year.
3

noun
A small container for keeping loose items neatly together.

He dropped his pens into the desk tidy.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · arranged neatly, with... neat

More clean fit orderly presentable seasonable suitable timely

Opposites

messy slipshod untidy

Word family

Forms tidiedtidiertidiestidiesttidilytidinesstidying

Derived forms hair-tidytidy-up

Related forms tidilytidiness

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

tidy sum
a fairly large amount of money

Adjective + noun

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”).

tidy Middle English

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities

External links

# tidy

**Type:** Word
**Level:** A2
**Part of speech:** adj, noun
**IPA (US):** /ˈtaɪ.di/
**Frequency rank:** 7302

## Meanings
1. Arranged neatly, with everything in its proper place; not messy.
2. Fairly large; considerable (used of an amount of money).
3. A small container for keeping loose items neatly together.

## Examples
- She always keeps her desk tidy, with nothing out of place.
- The shop made a tidy profit last year.
- He dropped his pens into the desk tidy.

## Synonyms
- clean
- fit
- orderly
- presentable
- seasonable
- suitable
- timely

## Antonyms
- messy
- slipshod
- untidy

## Derived Forms
- hair-tidy
- tidy-up

## Related Forms
- tidily
- tidiness

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: tidy

## 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”).

## AI Etymology
Tidy is 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”). In present-day use, it can mean arranged neatly, with everything in its proper place; not messy, or fairly large; considerable (used of an amount of money). Derived formations include hair-tidy, tidy-up.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities

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