clean

cleaning; cleaned; cleanest; cleans

The meaning of clean usually refers to removing something unwanted: you clean your hands by washing them, then you can clean some grapes.

This word has many meanings related to being pure or empty. You clean a chicken by plucking its feathers, or get cleaned out when you lose all your money at poker. If a drug addict is clean, he's no longer using. You can clean someone’s clock, clean up your act, or clean out a safe and make a clean getaway. If the floor is clean enough to eat off, it's very clean. A clean life is morally pure.

Definitions of clean
  1. adjective
    free from dirt or impurities; or having clean habits
    “children with clean shining faces”
    “clean white shirts”
    “clean dishes”
    “a spotlessly clean house”
    “cats are clean animals”
    Synonyms:
    cleanable
    capable of being cleaned
    cleanly
    habitually clean
    dry-cleaned
    cleaned with chemical solvents
    fresh, unused
    not yet used or soiled
    immaculate, speckless, spic, spic-and-span, spick, spick-and-span, spotless
    completely neat and clean
    pristine
    immaculately clean and unused
    scrubbed
    made clean by scrubbing
    unsoiled, unspotted, unstained
    without soil or spot or stain
    unsullied
    spotlessly clean and fresh
    washed, water-washed
    clean by virtue of having been washed in water
    antiseptic
    thoroughly clean and free of or destructive to disease-causing organisms
    tidy
    marked by order and cleanliness in appearance or habits
    see moresee less
    Antonyms:
    dirty, soiled, unclean
    soiled or likely to soil with dirt or grime
    Augean
    extremely filthy from long neglect
    bedraggled, draggled
    limp and soiled as if dragged in the mud
    befouled, fouled
    made dirty or foul
    begrimed, dingy, grimy, grubby, grungy, raunchy
    thickly covered with ingrained dirt or soot
    black, smutty
    soiled with dirt or soot
    buggy
    infested with bugs
    cobwebby
    covered with cobwebs
    dirty-faced
    having a dirty face
    feculent
    foul with waste matter
    filthy, foul, nasty
    disgustingly dirty; filled or smeared with offensive matter
    flyblown, sordid, squalid
    foul and run-down and repulsive
    greasy, oily
    smeared or soiled with grease or oil
    lousy
    infested with lice
    maculate
    spotted or blotched
    mucky, muddy
    dirty and messy; covered with mud or muck
    ratty
    dirty and infested with rats
    scummy
    covered with scum
    smudgy
    smeared with something that soils or stains; these words are often used in combination
    snot-nosed, snotty
    dirty with nasal discharge
    sooty
    covered with or as if with soot
    travel-soiled, travel-stained
    soiled from travel
    uncleanly
    habitually unclean
    unswept
    not having been swept
    unwashed
    not cleaned with or as if with soap and water
    untidy
    not neat and tidy
    show more antonyms...
  2. adjective
    free from impurities
    “clean water”
    synonyms: fresh
    pure
    free of extraneous elements of any kind
  3. adjective
    free from sepsis or infection
    “a clean (or uninfected) wound”
    synonyms: uninfected
    antiseptic
    thoroughly clean and free of or destructive to disease-causing organisms
  4. adjective
    (of a manuscript) having few alterations or corrections
    “a clean manuscript”
    synonyms: fair
    legible
    (of handwriting, print, etc.) capable of being read or deciphered
  5. adjective
    (of a surface) not written or printed on
    “a clean page”
    synonyms: blank, white
    empty
    holding or containing nothing
  6. adjective
    ritually clean or pure
    Synonyms:
    halal
    conforming to dietary laws
    cosher, kosher
    conforming to dietary laws
    pure
    free of extraneous elements of any kind
    see moresee less
    Antonyms:
    impure, unclean
    having a physical or moral blemish so as to make impure according to dietary or ceremonial laws
    nonkosher, terefah, tref
    not conforming to dietary laws
    untouchable
    ( especially used in traditional Hindu belief of the lowest caste or castes) defiling
    impure
    combined with extraneous elements
    show more antonyms...
  7. adjective
    (of sound or color) free from anything that dulls or dims
    “efforts to obtain a clean bass in orchestral recordings”
    synonyms: clear, light, unclouded
    pure
    free of extraneous elements of any kind
  8. verb
    make clean by removing dirt, filth, or unwanted substances from
    “Clean the stove!”
    “The dentist cleaned my teeth”
    synonyms: make clean
    clean house, houseclean
    clean and tidy up the house
    see moresee less
    Antonyms:
    begrime, bemire, colly, dirty, grime, soil
    make soiled, filthy, or dirty
    types:
    show 27 types...
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    disinfect
    destroy microorganisms or pathogens by cleansing
    brush
    clean with a brush
    dust
    remove the dust from
    hoover, vacuum, vacuum-clean
    clean with a vacuum cleaner
    hygienise, hygienize, sanitise, sanitize
    make sanitary by cleaning or sterilizing
    bream
    clean (a ship's bottom) with heat
    steam, steam clean
    clean by means of steaming
    plume, preen
    clean with one's bill
    sweep
    clean by sweeping
    do the dishes, wash up
    wash dishes
    pipe-clay
    whiten or clean with pipe-clay
    scavenge
    clean refuse from
    dry clean
    clean with chemical agents
    launder, wash
    cleanse with a cleaning agent, such as soap, and water
    sterilise, sterilize
    make free from bacteria
    antisepticize
    disinfect with an antiseptic
    chlorinate
    disinfect with chlorine
    water-wash
    wash with water
    wash out
    wash free from unwanted substances, such as dirt
    powerwash, pressure-wash
    wash before painting to remove old paint and mildew
    suds
    wash in suds
    rinse, rinse off
    wash off soap or remaining dirt
    cradle
    wash in a cradle
    stone-wash, stonewash
    wash with stones to achieve a worn appearance
    hand-wash, handwash
    wash or launder by hand instead of with a machine
    machine wash, machine-wash
    wash by machine
    acid-wash
    wash with acid so as to achieve a bleached look
    type of:
    alter, change, modify
    cause to change; make different; cause a transformation
  9. verb
    clean one's body or parts thereof, as by washing
    “clean up before you see your grandparents”
    “clean your fingernails before dinner”
    synonyms: cleanse
    see moresee less
    types:
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    bathe
    cleanse the entire body
    wash
    to cleanse (itself or another animal) by licking
    lave, wash
    cleanse (one's body) with soap and water
    lather, soap
    rub soap all over, usually with the purpose of cleaning
    bath, bathe
    clean one's body by immersion into water
    douche
    direct a spray of water into a bodily cavity, for cleaning
    floss
    use dental floss to clean
    decontaminate
    rid of contamination
    shower
    take a shower; wash one's body in the shower
    foment
    bathe with warm water or medicated lotions
    sponge down
    wash with a sponge
    scrub, scrub up
    wash thoroughly
    gargle, rinse
    rinse one's mouth and throat with mouthwash
    shampoo
    use shampoo on (hair)
    hush
    wash by removing particles
    type of:
    groom, neaten
    care for one's external appearance
  10. verb
    remove while making clean
    “Clean the spots off the rug”
    Synonyms:
    clean house, houseclean
    clean and tidy up the house
    see moresee less
    type of:
    remove, take, take away, withdraw
    remove something concrete, as by lifting, pushing, or taking off, or remove something abstract
  11. verb
    remove unwanted substances from
    synonyms: scavenge
    see moresee less
    type of:
    remove, take, take away, withdraw
    remove something concrete, as by lifting, pushing, or taking off, or remove something abstract
  12. verb
    remove unwanted substances from, such as feathers or pits
    “Clean the turkey”
    synonyms: pick
    see moresee less
    type of:
    remove, take, take away, withdraw
    remove something concrete, as by lifting, pushing, or taking off, or remove something abstract
  13. verb
    remove shells or husks from
    “clean grain before milling it”
    see moresee less
    type of:
    remove, take, take away, withdraw
    remove something concrete, as by lifting, pushing, or taking off, or remove something abstract
  14. verb
    remove all contents or possession from, or empty completely
    “The boys cleaned the sandwich platters”
    “The trees were cleaned of apples by the storm”
    synonyms: strip
    see moresee less
    type of:
    remove, take, take away, withdraw
    remove something concrete, as by lifting, pushing, or taking off, or remove something abstract
  15. verb
    deprive wholly of money in a gambling game, robbery, etc.
    “The other players cleaned him completely”
    see moresee less
    type of:
    deprive, divest, strip
    take away possessions from someone
  16. verb
    clean and tidy up the house
    synonyms: clean house, houseclean
    make clean
    make clean by removing dirt, filth, or unwanted substances from
    see moresee less
    types:
    G.I., GI
    clean in preparation for inspection
    spring-clean
    thoroughly clean the entire house, often done only once a year
    type of:
    clean up, neaten, square away, straighten, straighten out, tidy, tidy up
    put (things or places) in order
  17. verb
    be cleanable
    “This stove cleans easily”
    Synonyms:
    make clean
    make clean by removing dirt, filth, or unwanted substances from
    see moresee less
    type of:
    be
    have the quality of being; (copula, used with an adjective or a predicate noun)
  18. adjective
    not spreading pollution or contamination; especially radioactive contamination
    “a clean fuel”
    “the tactical bomb is reasonably clean”
    synonyms: uncontaminating
    see moresee less
    Antonyms:
    contaminating, dirty
    spreading pollution or contamination; especially radioactive contamination
  19. adjective
    free of drugs
    Synonyms:
    unaddicted
    not addicted
  20. adjective
    not carrying concealed weapons
    Synonyms:
    unarmed
    (used of persons or the military) not having or using arms
  21. adjective
    without difficulties or problems
    “a clean test flight”
    Synonyms:
    easy
    posing no difficulty; requiring little effort
  22. adjective
    free of restrictions or qualifications
    “a clean bill of health”
    synonyms: clear
    unqualified
    not limited or restricted
  23. adjective
    (of a record) having no marks of discredit or offense
    “a clean voting record”
    “a clean driver's license”
    Synonyms:
    perfect
    being complete of its kind and without defect or blemish
  24. adjective
    (of behavior or especially language) free from objectionable elements; fit for all observers
    “good clean fun”
    “a clean joke”
    synonyms: unobjectionable
    antiseptic
    devoid of objectionable language
    decent
    conforming to conventions of sexual behavior
    see moresee less
    Antonyms:
    dirty
    (of behavior or especially language) characterized by obscenity or indecency
    bawdy, off-color, ribald
    humorously vulgar
    blasphemous, blue, profane
    characterized by profanity or cursing
    dirty-minded
    having lewd thoughts
    cruddy, filthy, foul, nasty, smutty
    characterized by obscenity
    foul-mouthed, foul-spoken
    using foul or obscene language
    lewd, obscene, raunchy, salacious
    suggestive of or tending to moral looseness
    scabrous
    dealing with salacious or indecent material
    scatological
    dealing pruriently with excrement and excretory functions
    indecent
    offensive to good taste especially in sexual matters
    show more antonyms...
  25. adjective
    morally pure
    “led a clean life”
    synonyms: clean-living
    moral
    concerned with principles of right and wrong or conforming to standards of behavior and character based on those principles
  26. adjective
    exhibiting or calling for sportsmanship or fair play
    “a clean fight”
    synonyms: sporting, sportsmanlike, sporty
    fair, just
    free from favoritism or self-interest or bias or deception; conforming with established standards or rules
  27. adverb
    in conformity with the rules or laws and without fraud or cheating
    synonyms: fair, fairly
    see moresee less
    Antonyms:
    below the belt, unfairly
    in an unfair manner
  28. adjective
    thorough and without qualification
    “a clean getaway”
    “a clean sweep”
    “a clean break”
    Synonyms:
    complete
    having every necessary or normal part or component or step
  29. adjective
    free from clumsiness; precisely or deftly executed
    “he landed a clean left on his opponent's cheek”
    “a clean throw”
    synonyms: neat
    adroit
    quick or skillful or adept in action or thought
  30. adverb
    completely; used as intensifiers
    “clean forgot the appointment”
    synonyms: plum, plumb
  31. noun
    a weightlift in which the barbell is lifted to shoulder height and then jerked overhead
    synonyms: clean and jerk
    see moresee less
    type of:
    weightlift, weightlifting
    bodybuilding by exercise that involves lifting weights
DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘clean'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors. Send us feedback
Word Family

Vocabulary lists containing clean

Selection Vocabulary 2, Unit 1

This list covers Woodsong and Nimona.

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