Meaning & use
neatening
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“neatening” is a form of “neaten”.
Meaning
verbtransitive
Making something tidy or organized.
Grammar: Takes an object: neaten the room. The -ing form is used in continuous tenses or as a noun.
Patterns
- neaten something
- neaten up something
She is neatening the living room before the guests arrive.
Neatening your desk can help you focus.
He spent the morning neatening up the garden.
Word forms
| third person singular | neatens |
|---|---|
| past tense | neatened |
| past participle | neatened |
| -ing form | neatening |
Common combinations
- neaten up
- Please neaten up your room before dinner.
- neaten the edges
- She used scissors to neaten the edges of the fabric.
- neaten your appearance
- He neatened his appearance before the interview.
Synonyms and how they differ
- tidy
- More common in British English; 'neaten' is slightly more formal.
- organize
- Focuses on arranging things in a system, while 'neaten' focuses on making things look tidy.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: neatening or tidying?
neatening vs tidying
'Tidying' is more common in everyday speech; 'neatening' sounds a little more formal or deliberate.
Practice
She is ___ her desk before the meeting.
Choose one answer.
After 'is', we need the -ing form to make the present continuous: 'is neatening'. 'Neaten' would be wrong because the verb 'be' cannot be followed by the base form.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “neatening”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.