Date: 1700-1800
Origin: tidy 'at an appropriate time' (13-18 centuries), from tide


1 adjective
ti‧dy1 comparative tidier, superlative tidiest especially British English
1 a room, house, desk etc that is tidy is neatly arranged with everything in the right place [= neat; ≠ untidy, messy]:
a tidy desk
I try to keep the garden tidy.
Ellen's room is always neat and tidy.
2 someone who is tidy keeps their house, clothes etc neat and clean:
Chris is a naturally tidy person.

a tidy sum/profit

informal a large amount of money:
We sold the house for a tidy sum and moved south.

a tidy mind

tidily adverb
tidiness noun [uncountable]

Dictionary results for "tidy"
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