What does untidy mean?
Word: Untidy
Part of Speech: Adjective
Meaning: Untidy means not kept in order, with things lying all over the place.
Antonyms: orderly
How do you spell untidy?
Syllables: un - ti - dy
Tricky part: It sounds like the name of the letter i, yet children often reach for a y in the middle and write untydy.
Watch out for: untydy, untidie
Memory tip: Tiny children scatter toys everywhere. The long vowel here is the same i as in tiny.
Untidy in a sentence
Example 1: My desk gets untidy by the end of the week.
Example 2: Mum asked me to sort out my untidy cupboard.
Example 3: His handwriting looks untidy when he rushes.
Fun Fact
The root of this word comes from tide, an old word for time. Long ago it meant timely or in season, and only later came to mean in good order.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Makeup
Choose the prefix that completes the word:
tidy
a) in
b) dis
c) mis
d) un
Show answer
d) un. This prefix means not, and it is the one that goes with this root.
Word Cookie
Find the misspelt word in the sentence:
Mother frowned at the untiddy pile of clothes on the chair.
a) frowned
b) clothes
c) chair
d) untiddy
Show answer
d) untiddy. A long vowel comes before the d here, so one d is enough.
Word Connection
Choose the antonym of the word:
untidy
a) careless
b) neat
c) scruffy
d) messy
Show answer
b) neat. Neat means kept in good order; the other three do not.
Spell-o-Spell
Choose the incorrectly spelt word:
a) furniture
b) wardrobe
c) untidey
d) blanket
Show answer
c) untidey. This word ends in a plain y, with no e before it.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Which bedroom sounds untidy?
a) shoes on the rack and books on the shelf
b) clean sheets on the bed and coats on hooks
c) pens in a jar and papers in a file
d) socks on the floor and books on the bed
Show answer
d) socks on the floor and books on the bed
2. Rina's hair looks untidy after a windy walk. What should she do?
a) change into a warm jumper
b) comb it and tie it again
c) dye it a new colour
d) cut it very short today
Show answer
b) comb it and tie it again
