NEATEN

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does neaten mean? 

• NEATEN (verb)
  The verb NEATEN has 2 senses:

1. put (things or places) in order

2. care for one's external appearance

  Familiarity information: NEATEN used as a verb is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• NEATEN (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they neaten    ... he / she / it neatens   
Past simple: neatened   
Past participle: neatened   
-ing form: neatening   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Put (things or places) in order

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Synonyms:

clean up; neaten; square away; straighten; straighten out; tidy; tidy up

Context example:

Tidy up your room!

Hypernyms (to "neaten" is one way to...):

order (bring order to or into)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "neaten"):

make; make up (put in order or neaten)

clean; clean house; houseclean (clean and tidy up the house)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Sense 2

Meaning:

Care for one's external appearance

Classified under:

Verbs of grooming, dressing and bodily care

Synonyms:

groom; neaten

Context example:

He is always well-groomed

Hypernyms (to "neaten" is one way to...):

beautify; embellish; fancify; prettify (make more beautiful)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "neaten"):

clean; cleanse (clean one's body or parts thereof, as by washing)

shave (remove body hair with a razor)

comb; comb out; disentangle (smoothen and neaten with or as with a comb)

arrange; coif; coiffe; coiffure; do; dress; set (arrange attractively)

gel; mousse (apply a styling gel to)

pomade (apply pomade to (hair))

clean up (make oneself clean, presentable or neat)

make up (apply make-up or cosmetics to one's face to appear prettier)

manicure (care for (one's hand) by cutting and shaping the nails, etc.)

barber (perform the services of a barber: cut the hair and/or beard of)

pedicure (care for one's feet by cutting and shaping the nails, etc.)

do up; doll up; glam up; pretty up (use special care in dressing, making-up, etc.)

slick up; smarten up; spruce; spruce up (dress and groom with particular care, as for a special occasion)

perfume; scent (apply perfume to)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s somebody