# clean

/ˈkɫin/ (US) · /klˈiːn/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/clean
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. to remove dirt

verb · CEFR A1

to remove dirt, marks, or stains from something.

For teachers: to remove impurities, dirt, or foreign matter from a surface or object. Transitive and intransitive uses are common.

- I need to clean my glasses because I can't see through the smudges.
- The restoration team had to clean the fresco with extreme caution to avoid damaging the original sixteenth-century pigments.

### 2. to tidy a room

verb · CEFR A1

to make a place neat and organized.

For teachers: to organize or tidy a space by removing clutter and arranging items properly.

- Please clean your room before your friends arrive for the party.
- The staff worked quickly to clean the conference hall between sessions, ensuring every chair was aligned and all litter removed.

### 3. not dirty

adjective · CEFR A1

free from dirt, marks, or bad smells.

For teachers: free from dirt, pollutants, or contamination; in a state of hygiene.

- Put on a clean shirt for the interview so you look professional.
- The laboratory requires a clean environment to ensure that no outside bacteria interfere with the sensitive chemical cultures.

### 4. honest or legal

adjective · CEFR B2

not involved in anything illegal or dishonest.

For teachers: free from criminality, immorality, or prohibited substances; often used regarding a person's record or a sports drug test.

- The driver had a clean record with no accidents for ten years.
- The athlete insisted he was clean, pointing to the results of three independent drug tests conducted during the off-season.

### 5. environmentally friendly

adjective · CEFR B1

not causing much pollution or damage to nature.

For teachers: producing little or no pollution or hazardous waste; sustainable.

- Solar power is a clean energy source that helps protect the planet.
- The government is subsidising the transition to clean technologies to meet its carbon reduction targets by the end of the decade.

### 6. smooth and precise

adjective · CEFR B2

done in a smooth, simple, and perfect way.

For teachers: characterised by smooth lines, precise execution, or a lack of unnecessary complexity.

- The knife made a clean cut through the thick rope.
- The architect is known for the clean lines of her buildings, avoiding the decorative clutter common in traditional designs.

### 7. an act of cleaning

noun · CEFR A2

the act of making something clean.

For teachers: an instance or process of cleaning something. Usually follows 'give something a...'.

- The kitchen needs a good clean after all that cooking.
- The apartment was given a thorough clean before the new tenants moved in, leaving the floors polished and the windows sparkling.

### 8. completely

adverb · CEFR B2 · Informal

completely or totally.

For teachers: entirely or completely; often used to emphasize that something was missed or forgotten.

- I clean forgot to call my mother on her birthday.
- The thief managed to get clean away before the police could set up a perimeter around the building.

## Examples

- The kitchen needs a good clean before the guests arrive.
- I gave the car a quick clean this morning to remove the dust from the long drive.
- After the renovation was finished, the entire house required a deep clean to eliminate the fine layer of plaster dust that had settled on every surface.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.