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neat

neat

144 1.0
Clean and tidy with things in order
  • adjective
  • /niːt/
translation icon : ordenado
  • Her desk is always neat, with everything in its place.
  • neat and tidy
  • neat and clean
  • neat appearance

You probably wish they were nice, neat whole numbers, but they're not.

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Examples

  • As a job-hunting aid, it should be as neat and organized as possible.

    Academic text (1995)
  • The bulletin board display needs to be appealing, neat, clear, and meaningful to pupils.

    Academic text (1999)
  • This is a neat room.

  • This is not a neat household, but you would be very comfortable here.

  • Just make it nice and neat.

  • The salesman, a small neat man in a quiet suit, is the store's representative.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • When I was a kid, Grandpa kept the driveway neat as a golf course.

    Fiction book (1991)
  • The backpack was neat and the directions were easy to read.

    Academic text (2013)
  • Several of my former students have reported that having neat, organized portfolios helped them considerably when job hunting.

    Academic text (1995)
  • Here, the teachers had arranged a neat, attractive caption entitled "Finding the Area of a Circle."

    Academic text (1999)

Synonyms

orderly
vsneat
55 2.4

Arranged in a tidy, organized way

includes that order but also suggests careful, precise workmanship
tidy
vsneat
47 1.0

Having things in order with no mess

adds the idea that actions are done with care and skill
clean
vsneat
45 3.6

Done with skill and no mistakes

pairs that precision with visual order and organised appearance
immaculate
vsneat
36 5.9

Completely clean and neat with no marks or stains

adds a sense of tidy organisation and careful workmanship
clean-cut
vsneat
13 3.8

Having a neat, smart look and tidy clothes

is broader, covering both appearance and careful, precise work
well-kept
vsneat
7 1.8

Neat and in good condition because someone looks after it

implies maintenance plus careful, skilled attention to detail
uncluttered
vsneat
5 4.0

Free of extra things and distractions, simple and tidy

also includes organised layout plus careful, precise finishing
neat and tidy
vsneat
4 1.4

Clean and well organized with no mess

also implies careful, skillful, or precise action rather than only order
3 4.2

Very clean and tidy, looking almost new

covers that cleanliness but also the careful, precise way it is done
spic-and-span
vsneat
3 4.9

Completely clean and tidy with no dust or dirt

is more general, adding tidy organisation and skilled finish
1 4.1

Very clean and tidy with no dirt or marks

is broader, also meaning organised and done with skill
shipshape
vsneat
4.9

Neat and clean with everything in its place

stresses that neatness can also mean careful or skilled execution
slicked up
vsneat
  • US
6.3

Looks tidy and neat after an extra effort to look good

can be more general, including everyday tidy order without effort
ruly
vsneat
9.9

Neat and well arranged, like a tidy desk or garden

adds that actions are done with care and technical skill

Antonyms

233 1.0

Not tidy or clean, with things in the wrong place

155 2.0

Untidy and done without care

Compounds

neat-freak
  • Informal
7 7.9

A person who likes to keep things very clean and tidy

Clean and well organized with no mess

1 5.6

A glass of whiskey served without ice or mixer at room temperature

How Neat

immaculate
36 5.9
orderly
55 2.4
neat
144 1.0
tidy
47 1.0
messy
233 1.0

Surface Forms

neat positive
neater comparative
neatest superlative

Etymology

Neat comes from an old French word net that meant 'clean' or 'shining', so the idea of neat is something kept tidy and clean.