clean

SayKLEEN/klin//kliːn/

Verbcleans, cleaning, cleaned

Adjectivecleaner, cleanest

Noun pluralcleans

34 meanings of clean

Practice

1
scrub dirt offverbtransitive
To take away dirt from something, or to do the cleaning in a home or place.
Like wiping mud off your shoes until they look new again.
Please clean the mud off your shoes.
I clean the windows every weekend.
UsageClean the boots, or clean the mud off the boots.
Similarwash, scrub, wipe
Oppositedirty, soil
2
free of dirtadjective
Free from dirt, dust, or marks, and not dirty.
Like a plate after washing: no food or marks left on it.
She put on a clean shirt before dinner.
The kitchen floor was finally clean after we mopped it.
UsageOften wipe it clean or keep it clean.
Similarspotless, immaculate, pristine, unsoiled, washed
Oppositedirty, filthy, soiled, grimy
3
verbtransitive
To make a place neat by putting things where they belong.
Like putting all your toys back in the box so the room looks neat.
Can you clean your desk? It's covered in papers.
Before bed, clean your room and put your toys back in the box.
UsageOften clean up your room.
Similartidy, straighten, neaten, clear
Oppositeclutter
4
nouncountable
The act of getting rid of dirt from something.
Like tidying a messy room until everything looks fresh again.
The kitchen needs a good clean before the guests arrive.
She gave the car a quick clean in the driveway.
UsageSay give it a good clean.
Similarwash, scrub, wipe
5
adjective
Not harming the environment as much as other choices do.
Like a car that doesn't blow smoke into the air.
Wind power is a clean way to make electricity.
Cities want cleaner buses that don't pollute the air.
UsageUsed before a noun: clean energy.
Similargreen, renewable, eco-friendly
Oppositedirty, polluting
Note
6
adjective
Without harmful germs, infection, or disease.
Like washing your hands so no germs are left to make you sick.
Always use a clean bandage on a wound.
The nurse made sure the table was clean before surgery.
Similarsterile, hygienic, sanitary, uncontaminated
Oppositecontaminated, infected, dirty, unhygienic
7
adjective
Simple and not crowded, with clear lines and nothing extra.
The new website has a clean design, so you can find things quickly.
I like this app because the screen looks clean and easy to use.
UsageOften clean lines or a clean design.
Similaruncluttered, simple, minimal, crisp
Oppositecluttered, busy
Note
8
neatly doneadjective
Done smoothly and exactly, without mistakes.
Like writing a whole page without a single mistake.
The gymnast made a clean landing.
He hit the ball with one clean swing.
Similarsmooth, flawless, precise, neat, faultless
Oppositesloppy, messy, rough, clumsy
9
soberadjective
Not using drugs or alcohol, especially after stopping.
He has been clean for two years now.
She stayed clean after leaving the program.
UsageSay stay clean or get clean.
Similarsober, straight, dry
Note
10
nearly pureadjective
Having only a small amount of unwanted matter mixed in.
Like juice with almost no pulp left in it.
For strong concrete, use clean sand with no clay mixed in.
The farmer sold clean wheat, with hardly any stones or weed seeds in it.
Similarpure, uncontaminated, unadulterated, refined
Oppositeimpure, contaminated
Note
11
adjective
Pure in a moral or religious way, free from sin or wrongdoing.
Like a fresh white page with nothing bad written on it.
She felt clean in her heart after asking for forgiveness.
They believed only a clean soul could enter the temple.
Similarpure, innocent, sinless, guiltless, undefiled
Oppositeimpure, sinful, unclean, defiled
Note
12
verbtransitive
To fix or remove mistakes and repeated entries in a set of data before using it.
It took a week to clean the customer list and remove repeated names.
She cleaned the list of customers, fixing misspelled names and removing people listed twice.
Similarcleanse, scrub
Note

Less common meanings

13
adjective
Not involved in crime or dishonest acts, with no record of breaking the law.
Like a notebook page with no bad marks on it.
The new mayor has a clean reputation.
He kept a clean driving record for twenty years.
UsageOften a clean record.
Similarhonest, legitimate, spotless, unblemished, aboveboard
Oppositecorrupt, dishonest, crooked, dirty
Note
14
no swearingadjective
Having no rude words or sexual content in it.
Like a song with all the bad words taken out.
The comedian kept his jokes clean for the family show.
It's a clean movie with no bad language.
UsageSay keep it clean to ask someone to avoid rude words and sexual jokes or comments.
Similarwholesome, decent, inoffensive
Oppositeexplicit, dirty, obscene, crude
15
adjective
Sounding clear, without crackling, fuzz, or other unwanted noise.
The new headphones give a really clean sound, even at high volume.
The phone line was clean, so I could hear every word Grandma said.
Similarclear, crisp
Oppositedistorted, noisy
Note
16
blankadjective
With nothing written on it or nothing inside it, so it is blank or empty.
Like a fresh notebook page with nothing written on it yet.
She handed me a clean sheet of paper for the test.
Start your essay on a clean page so it looks neat.
UsageOften a clean sheet of paper.
Similarblank, fresh, unmarked, empty
Oppositeused, marked
17
all the wayadverb
Completely or all the way, with nothing left.
The ball flew clean over the fence.
I clean forgot about the meeting.
UsageOften before over, through or away: clean over the fence. Also I clean forgot.
Similarcompletely, right, clear, fully, entirely
Note
18
gut fishverbtransitive
To take out the insides and other unwanted parts of a fish or animal before cooking it.
Like preparing a fish for the pan by taking out everything you can't eat.
She cleaned the fish at the sink before dinner.
Always clean the trout right after you catch it.
UsageSay clean the fish before you cook it.
Similargut, dress
Note
19
adjective
Made of whole, simple foods that are not heavily processed and are seen as healthy.
She switched to a clean diet of fresh vegetables, beans, and fish.
My dad says this snack bar is clean because it has only nuts and dates in it.
UsageOften clean eating or a clean diet.
Similarwholesome, healthy
Note
20
adjectivecolloquial
Cool, neat, or impressive in a stylish way.
His outfit was so clean that everyone wanted a photo with him.
Wow, your new jacket and hat look so clean together.
Similarslick, sharp, neat, cool, fresh
21
weightliftingnouncountable
In weightlifting, the move that lifts the bar from the floor up to your shoulders.
Like scooping a heavy box from the floor up to your chest in one move.
She added ten kilos to her clean this season.
His clean was smooth, but the jerk that followed failed.
Note
22
adjective
Complete and total, with nothing left over or held back.
Like cutting a rope all the way through in one go.
They made a clean break and never spoke again.
Our team made a clean sweep of all the games.
UsageOften a clean break or a clean sweep.
Similarcomplete, total, decisive
Oppositepartial
Note
23
adjectivecolloquial
Not carrying any weapons, drugs, or other illegal things.
The guards searched him and found that he was clean.
The officer patted him down and told the others he was clean.
24
delete filesverbtransitive
To delete files you don't need from a folder or computer.
Like clearing out a drawer full of papers you no longer need.
He cleaned the folder to free up space on the drive.
You should clean your downloads folder every week.
Similarclear, purge, empty, flush
Note
25
adjective
Used about a win that was fair, with no fouls or cheating.
Like winning a game by following all the rules.
The fighter wanted a clean win, with no help from outside.
It was a clean victory that no one could argue with.
Similarfair, undisputed, legitimate
Oppositetainted, disputed
Note
26
finish offverbtransitive
In video games, usually clean up: to finish off the last enemies or tasks that are left.
Let's clean up the last few goblins and then save the game.
My brother cleaned up the side quests before the final mission.
UsageUsually clean up the last enemies.
Similarclear, finish
Note
27
free of spiesadjective
Having no hidden microphones, cameras, or spies.
Security checked the room for hidden microphones and said it was clean.
He only spoke once he was sure the room was clean.
Similarsecure
Oppositebugged
Note
28
nouncountableplural
In metal music, singing done in a clear voice instead of growls or screams.
The singer switches from screams to cleans in the second verse.
Many fans say the new album has too many cleans and not enough growls.
Note
29
adjective
Of a plane, with its wheels and flaps folded away so air passes smoothly over it.
Like a smooth stone that slips through water with nothing to catch on it.
With the wheels and flaps up, the plane was clean and faster.
The pilot lowered the wheels, so the plane was no longer clean.
Oppositedirty
Note
30
adjective
Climbed from the bottom to the top without falling.
31
adjective
Without faults or anything bad or not needed.
32
verb
To remove the safety gear that was put on a climbing route.
33
verb
To give the ice a light sweep just ahead of a sliding stone.
34
verbslang
To fix bad colors and marks on a scanned comic page.

Practice

Can you tell the meanings of clean apart? Answer 3 quick questions from this page, or write your own sentence and AI will check it.

Origin

This word comes from Old English 'clǣne', meaning 'clean' or 'pure'. It goes back to an older Germanic word that may have meant 'shining' or 'fine'.

Checked 31 Oct 2026 · 4 facts

Clean comes from Old English clǣne. en.wiktionary.org
Old English clǣne meant clean or pure. en.wiktionary.org
The word descends from an older Germanic word meaning fine. en.wiktionary.org
Shining is a proposed earlier meaning in the Germanic word's history. en.wiktionary.org