untidy

[uhn-tahy-dee]

adjective

untidier, untidiest 

1. not tidy or neat; slovenly; disordered.

   an untidy room; an untidy person.

2. not well-organized or carried out.

   an untidy plan.

verb (used with object)

untidied, untidying 

1. to mess up; disorder; disarrange.

   The guests untidied the room.

untidy

/ ʌnˈtaɪdɪ /

adjective

1. not neat; slovenly

verb

1. (tr) to make untidy

Other Word Forms

• untidiness noun
• untidily adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of untidy¹

Middle English word dating back to 1175–1225; un- ¹, tidy

Example Sentences

"We were a bit untidy in attack but I thought we were outstanding in defence. We really cut off their edges, shut them right out."

From BBC

There have been complaints about the increasingly untidy nature of the park with rubbish and sanitation concerns raised.

From BBC

"We were a little bit untidy. Our maul could have been better and we let them off the hook at times," he told BBC.

From BBC

In a cagey encounter, players appeared fatigued with both teams untidy in possession and lacking quality in the final third.

From BBC

The assessments from his former masters at Lancaster Road Junior School and Euston Road Senior School in Morecambe included criticism of the late entertainer's attendance and "poor and untidy written work".

From BBC

Related Words

• bedraggled 
• jumbled www.thesaurus.com
• messy 
• sloppy 
• tangled