Word
clean
US/ˈkɫin/
UK/klˈiːn/
Definitions
01to remove dirt
v. to remove dirt, marks, or stains from something.
v. 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.”
02to tidy a room
v. to make a place neat and organized.
v. 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.”
Antonyms
03not dirty
adj. free from dirt, marks, or bad smells.
adj. 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.”
04honest or legal
adj. not involved in anything illegal or dishonest.
adj. 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.”
05environmentally friendly
adj. not causing much pollution or damage to nature.
adj. 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.”
Synonyms
06smooth and precise
adj. done in a smooth, simple, and perfect way.
adj. 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.”
07an act of cleaning
n. the act of making something clean.
n. 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.”
Synonyms
08completely
adv. completely or totally.
adv. 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.”
Informal
Synonyms
Antonyms
Etymology
From Middle English clene, clane, from Old English clǣne (“clean, pure”), from Proto-West Germanic klainī (“shining, fine, splendid, tender”), perhaps from Proto-Indo-European glēy- (“gleaming”), from Proto-Indo-European *gel- (“to gleam”). Cognate with Scots clean (“absolute, pure, clear, empty”) and clene, clane (“clean”), North Frisian klien (“small”), West Frisian klien (“small”), klean (“clean”), Dutch klein (“small”), Low German kleen (“small”), German klein (“small”), Swedish klen (“weak, feeble, delicate”), Icelandic klénn (“poor, feeble, petty, snug, puny, cheesy, lame”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Collocations
Word family
Related words
Idioms
clean as a hound's tooth — Very clean.
clean as a whistle — Very clean.
clean break — The complete termination of a relationship, or an exit from a situation.
clean hands — Freedom from guilt, especially from the guilt of dishonesty in money matters, or of bribe-taking.
clean money — Money that is legally or honestly gained or earned.
clean someone's clock — To defeat someone decisively, in a physical fight or other competition or negotiation.
clean up — To become clean, handsome, smart in appearance, e.g. for a special occasion, especially when it is out of character to be seen as such.
clean up one's act — To reform; to improve one's habits.
come clean — To confess; admit the truth.
get one's clock cleaned — To be thoroughly defeated.
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keep one's nose clean — To stay out of trouble, especially by avoiding unlawful behavior.
make a clean breast — Often followed by of: to be honest about something; to confess.
show a clean pair of heels — To run away; to make an escape quickly.
start with a clean sheet — To begin something anew, without being hindered by past mistakes, problems or biases; to start all over again.
start with a clean sheet of paper — Synonym of start with a clean sheet.
start with a clean slate — Synonym of start with a clean sheet.
wipe the slate clean — To make a fresh start, for example by forgetting about previous differences and disagreements.
Domains
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