tidy

Everyday

1. Tidy means neat and in order, with things in their right places. tree →
2. To tidy (or tidy up) means to make a place neat by putting things away. tree →
3. A tidy amount of money means quite a lot (informal). tree →
4. To tidy up can also mean to put thoughts or feelings into good order. tree →

In the lessons

In everyday life and at school, children tidy their bedrooms, desks and classrooms; «Tidy up time!» means put everything away. A tidy room is safer: toys and cables on the floor can make people trip. Tidy handwriting and tidy working out in maths make answers easy to read and check. In stories a tidy character is neat and careful.

Examples

• Please tidy your room before dinner. tree →
• Her desk is always tidy. tree →
• Let's tidy up the toys. tree →
• Keep your working out tidy so you can check it. tree →
• His handwriting is tidier than mine. tree →
• A tidy floor means nobody trips over. tree →
• She tidied the books onto the shelf. tree →
• They made a tidy profit selling lemonade. tree →
• Mrs. Darling first heard of Peter when she was tidying up her children’s minds. tree →

Note

Verb forms: tidies, tidied (y → ie), tidying (keep y). Opposites: «untidy», «messy». «Tidy up» is very common. «Tidy» is used more in British English; Americans also say «clean up» or «neat».