1
as in messy
lacking in order, neatness, and often cleanliness
I can never find anything in this untidy office
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2
as in sloppy
lacking neatness in dress or person
neighbors gossiped about the woman's rumpled and untidy children
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Recent Examples of untidy
In a growing number of schools, days are marked by strict routines and detentions for minor infractions, like forgetting a pencil case or having an untidy uniform.
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Emma Bubola, New York Times, 9 Mar. 2024
By David Culver, Tara John and Abel Alvarado | CNN
With its four-piece bathroom suite, queen-size bed and mini fridge, the untidy prison cell of the notorious leader of the Los Choneros gang, José Adolfo Macías, could have been in a hotel instead of one of Ecuador’s largest prison complexes.
—Cnn.com Wire Service, The Mercury News, 20 Feb. 2024
Kelley’s favorite plant doesn’t look like much, just your standard untidy grass.
—Joann C Gutin, Discover Magazine, 11 Nov. 2019
Not only can this make our homes look untidy, but said dust, dirt, and pet hair can also exacerbate allergies.
—Sharon Brandwein, Southern Living, 17 Jan. 2024
See all Example Sentences for untidy 
Emma Bubola, New York Times, 9 Mar. 2024
By David Culver, Tara John and Abel Alvarado | CNN
With its four-piece bathroom suite, queen-size bed and mini fridge, the untidy prison cell of the notorious leader of the Los Choneros gang, José Adolfo Macías, could have been in a hotel instead of one of Ecuador’s largest prison complexes.
—Cnn.com Wire Service, The Mercury News, 20 Feb. 2024
Kelley’s favorite plant doesn’t look like much, just your standard untidy grass.
—Joann C Gutin, Discover Magazine, 11 Nov. 2019
Not only can this make our homes look untidy, but said dust, dirt, and pet hair can also exacerbate allergies.
—Sharon Brandwein, Southern Living, 17 Jan. 2024
See all Example Sentences for untidy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for untidy
Adjective
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As someone who’s trying to clear out space on their bar cart, having a ton of bottles to make one drink isn’t fun and can also just be messy.Vulture Staff, Vulture, 15 Nov. 2024
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In recent years, former top officials in NASA’s human-spaceflight program have taken jobs at SpaceX. In the meantime, though, more SpaceX flights—and more power for Musk—could be messy, or even dangerous.Marina Koren, The Atlantic, 5 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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Not rotating cushions can lead to uneven use patterns—especially around the center of chairs or the edges of sofas—which can then make cushions look saggy, sloppy, or worn out.Rabekah Henderson, Southern Living, 19 Nov. 2024
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Buffalo Bills 30, Indianapolis Colts 20: The Bills overcame an uncharacteristically sloppy performance from Josh Allen to push past the pesky Colts.Jim Reineking, USA TODAY, 11 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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Fleetwood Mac somehow managed to merge their often chaotic and almost operatic personal lives into their own tale in real-time, which then became legend.Jessica Lynch, Billboard, 19 Nov. 2024
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The snippets of him so far are entertainingly chaotic.Emma Soren, Vulture, 5 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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Most wine lovers know that the word Sauvignon comes from the French word sauvage and the word blanc simply means white, but most people don’t know the reason is because when untrained vines of the variety have a distinctly unkempt appearance.Mike DeSimone and Jeff Jenssen, Robb Report, 4 Nov. 2024
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But, as in these United States, the key question remains whether creeping totalitarianism — from the left and the right — will squeeze everyday people out of their inalienable right to just be their sometimes obnoxious, unkempt, idiosyncratic selves.Ed Wallace, New York Daily News, 6 June 2024
Adjective
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Style insiders are going all in on the look, too; fashion month’s crowds were awash in brushed knits, and New Yorkers of all stripes have pulled out their shaggiest jumpers as sweater weather has descended upon the city.Jake Henry Smith, Glamour, 4 Nov. 2024
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Sofia’s haircut is an early sign of her rebellion; a shaggy mullet that calls back to Jane Fonda in the 1970s thriller Klute.Gavia Baker-Whitelaw, Vulture, 4 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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Though a human would probably be able to figure out how to escape from a random room, even a highly mobile robot would get confused and waste time looking for doors in nonsensical places like the floors and ceiling.Mack DeGeurin, Popular Science, 20 Nov. 2024
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The conversation left her confused and gutted — with dozens of questions that could take more than a year to resolve.Robert Anglen, The Arizona Republic, 8 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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Corruption within the organization, after all, is as much a part of the show as Jackson Lamb’s slovenly habits and horrible diet.Kathryn VanArendonk, Vulture, 9 Oct. 2024
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To them, flame is slovenly, backward, even atavistic, tolerable only when used for ceremonial purposes.Stephen Pyne, Scientific American, 16 Apr. 2024
Adjective
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These dogs often come from cramped, filthy mills, without sufficient veterinary care, food, water or socialization.Lisa Bloch, The Mercury News, 19 Nov. 2024
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The O’Haras happen to move in next door to him. Frothy and often filthy without being brainless (send thanks across the Atlantic for that good British dialogue), this is escapism done right.Judy Berman, TIME, 30 Oct. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Untidy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/untidy. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.
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