1
as in messy
lacking in order, neatness, and often cleanliness
I can never find anything in this untidy office
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in sloppy
lacking neatness in dress or person
neighbors gossiped about the woman's rumpled and untidy children
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of untidy
Commoners’ untidy open fields are returning to contemporary agricultural practice.
—
Literary Hub, 19 Feb. 2026
Trusting our usual virtual background on Teams to mask an untidy living room or kitchen table from colleagues.
—Zak Doffman, Forbes.com, 24 Jan. 2026
Inspired by the cognitive dissonance that Joan Didion experienced in Miami, Nick León creates a refreshingly untidy tapestry of the city’s dance music on A Tropical Entropy.
—Pitchfork, 2 Dec. 2025
For those with untidy cleaning closets like myself, this nifty holder mounts to your wall and is designed with special grips to hold your go-to broom, tried-and-true mop, and more.
—Alicia Geigel, Southern Living, 7 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for untidy
Literary Hub, 19 Feb. 2026
Trusting our usual virtual background on Teams to mask an untidy living room or kitchen table from colleagues.
—Zak Doffman, Forbes.com, 24 Jan. 2026
Inspired by the cognitive dissonance that Joan Didion experienced in Miami, Nick León creates a refreshingly untidy tapestry of the city’s dance music on A Tropical Entropy.
—Pitchfork, 2 Dec. 2025
For those with untidy cleaning closets like myself, this nifty holder mounts to your wall and is designed with special grips to hold your go-to broom, tried-and-true mop, and more.
—Alicia Geigel, Southern Living, 7 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for untidy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for untidy
Adjective
-
Russia’s departure from World War 1 led to a savage revolution; its loss in Afghanistan heralded the messy collapse of the Soviet Union; and Moscow levelled much of Grozny before giving Chechnya autonomy in 1996.—
Nick Paton Walsh,
CNN Money,
18 June 2026
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The last case highlights the messy and contentious process the Founding Fathers underwent to form the federal government.—
Amanda Rosa,
Miami Herald,
18 June 2026
Adjective
-
Earlier, a pair of Harry Kane goals — his ninth and 10th at World Cups — had twice put England ahead, only for some sloppy defending and smart attacking play to give Croatia a route back.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
19 June 2026
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Instead of one scammer typing out sloppy messages from a laptop, this setup worked more like a criminal software business.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
17 June 2026
Adjective
-
The truth in this case — as is often true — is specific, chaotic, at times just dumb.—
Ben Smith,
semafor.com,
15 June 2026
-
The world is chaotic and noisy, and her approach demands patience, of which supply is limited.—
Kamal Ahmed,
Fortune,
15 June 2026
Adjective
-
The back yard, casually unkempt and shaded by tall trees, exudes natural splendor.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
12 June 2026
-
Planting a native garden does not have to mean a wild, unkempt aesthetic.—
Ashley Chalmers,
The Spruce,
6 June 2026
Adjective
-
In the past, her songs were so littered with personal details that listening felt voyeuristic.—
Madison Bloom,
Pitchfork,
31 Mar. 2026
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The series does not touch on the tabloid attention that followed the Beckhams in 2004, when it was alleged that David had an affair with his personal assistant, Rebecca Loos, and the many further accusations of cheating that littered gossip columns after.—
Scarlett Harris,
Time,
9 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Participants with wet but non-wrinkled fingers required significantly more force to maintain the same hold; their hands were working harder to do less.—
Scott Travers,
Forbes.com,
22 May 2026
-
Yellowing leaves can indicate overwatering, while wrinkled leaves can point to underwatering.—
Madeline Buiano,
Martha Stewart,
8 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
While a pegboard may conjure visions of your dad's tool garage or a cluttered retail display, Patton offers a few tips for making your kitchen pegboard feel stylish in the space.—
Better Homes & Gardens,
Better Homes & Gardens,
11 June 2026
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Ideal for managing cluttered bathrooms, kitchens, and other spaces throughout the home, these storage solutions come in at up to 88 percent off during the sale.—
Tanya Sharma,
PEOPLE,
11 June 2026
Adjective
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That charming and shaggy approach is fitting for such a campy and irreverent comedy, ultimately substituting polish for an equal mixture of artistic grit and careless joy.—
Wilson Chapman,
IndieWire,
12 June 2026
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Last Wednesday, the hotel was swarmed with guys sporting shaggy haircuts, all looking like Geese frontman Cameron Winter.—
Nate Freeman,
Vanity Fair,
9 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Untidy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/untidy. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
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