DictionaryAI

neat

NEET/ˈniːt/

Formsneater, neatest

10 meanings of neat

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  1. 1
    orderlyadjective
    Clean and tidy, with everything arranged well and looking pleasing.

    Like a drawer where every sock is folded and stacked.

    Her desk is always neat, with the pens lined up in a row.

    He kept his room neat even as a small child.

    UsageOften neat and tidy.

    Similartidy, orderly, clean, trim, spruce

    Oppositemessy, untidy, disorderly, sloppy

  2. 2
    cool (interesting)adjectivecolloquialCanadaUS
    Very good, fun, or interesting.

    It would be so neat to live right by the beach.

    We saw some neat animals at the zoo today.

    UsageOften pretty neat or really neat.

    Similarcool, great, nice, terrific

  3. 3
    smartly doneadjective
    Done in a clever, skillful, and exact way.

    That was a neat solution to a tricky problem.

    She made a neat catch right at the edge of the field.

    UsageOften a neat trick.

    Similarclever, deft, skillful, ingenious, adroit

    Oppositeclumsy, awkward

  4. 4
    not watered downadjective
    Not mixed with water, ice, or anything else.

    Like drinking juice straight, with no water added.

    He likes his whiskey neat.

    She ordered the rum neat, with no ice in the glass.

    UsageSay drink it neat.

    Similarstraight, undiluted

    Oppositediluted, mixed

    Note
  5. 5
    too tidyadjective
    Too simple, leaving out the hard or messy parts.

    His answer was a bit too neat, ignoring the real problems.

    That's a neat story, but life is rarely so simple.

    UsageOften too neat.

    Similartidy, simplistic, pat, glib

    Oppositecomplex, nuanced

    Note

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Origins

Meanings 1–8

It came through Middle English from Old French words meaning 'clean, pure', and before that from Latin nitidus meaning 'gleaming', from a verb meaning 'to shine'.

Checked 31 Oct 2026 · 3 facts

Meaning 9

It came from Old English nēat meaning 'animal, ox, or cattle', from older Germanic words for livestock or property.

Checked 31 Oct 2026 · 2 facts

  • The cattle sense derives from Old English nēat, meaning animal, ox, or cattle. en.wiktionary.org
  • The Old English word descends from older Germanic forms associated with livestock or property. en.wiktionary.org