Word forms: comparative cleaner, superlative cleanest, 3rd person singular presenttense cleans, present participle cleaning, past tense, past participle cleaned
1. adjective
Something that is clean is free from dirt or unwanted marks.
He wore his cleanest slacks, a clean shirt and a navy blazer.
Disease has not been a problem because clean water is available.
The metro is efficient and spotlessly clean.
Tiled kitchen floors are easy to keep clean.
Synonyms: hygienic, natural, fresh, sterile More Synonyms of clean
2. adjective
You say that people or animals are clean when they keep themselves or their surroundings clean.
3. adjective
A clean fuel or chemical process does not create many harmful or polluting substances.
Fans of electric cars say they are clean, quiet and economical.
cleanlyadverb [ADVERB after verb]
Manufacturers are working with new fuels to find one that burns more cleanly thanpetrol.
4. verb
If you clean something or clean dirt off it, you make it free from dirt and unwanted marks, for example by washing or wiping it. If something cleans easily, it is easy to clean.
Her father cleaned his glasses with a paper napkin. [VERB noun]
It took half an hour to clean the orange powder off the bath. [VERB noun preposition/adverb]
He cleaned the flakes away with his coat sleeve. [VERB noun preposition/adverb]
Wood flooring not only cleans easily, but it's environmentally friendly into thebargain. [VERB adverb]
Synonyms: cleanse, wash, bath, sweep More Synonyms of clean
Clean is also a noun.
Give the cooker a good clean.
5. verb
If you clean a room or house, you make the inside of it and the furniture in it free from dirt and dust.
My parents cooked and cleaned. [VERB]
She got up early and cleaned the flat. [VERB noun]
cleaninguncountable noun
I do the cleaning myself.
6. adjective
If you describe something such as a book, joke, or lifestyle as clean, you think that they are not sexually immoral or offensive.
[approval]
They're trying to show clean, wholesome, decent movies.
Flirting is good clean fun.
He became a model of clean living and Bible Belt virtues.
7. adjective
If someone has a clean reputation or record, they have never done anything illegal or wrong.
Accusations of tax evasion have tarnished his clean image.
You can hire these from most car hire firms, provided you have a clean driving licence.
8. adjective [usually ADJECTIVE noun]
A clean game or fight is carried out fairly, according to the rules.
He called for a clean fight in the election and an end to 'negative campaigning'.
It was a clean match, well refereed.
cleanlyadverb [ADVERB after verb, ADVERB -ed]
The game had been cleanly fought.
9. graded adjective
If you describe a flavour, smell, or colour as clean, you like it because it is light and fresh.
...the fresh, clean smell of the sea.
Soft tones of blue and grey create a clean, bright look.
10. adjective [usually ADJECTIVE noun]
A clean sheet of paper has no writing or drawing on it.
Take a clean sheet of paper and down the left-hand side make a list.
11. adjective [ADJECTIVE noun]
If you make a clean break or start, you end a situation completely and start again in a different way.
She wanted to make a clean break from her mother and father.
12. adverb [oft ADV before v]
Clean is used to emphasize that something was done completely.
[informal, emphasis]
It burned clean through the seat of my overalls.
The thief got clean away with the money.
I clean forgot everything I had prepared.
13. graded adjective [usually ADJECTIVE noun]
A clean shape is simple and regular, with definite, smooth edges.
He admires the clean lines of Shaker furniture.
The drill should be slowly rotated to ensure a clean hole.
Synonyms: neat, simple, elegant, trim More Synonyms of clean
cleanlygraded adverb [ADVERB with verb]
Cut horizontally and cleanly through the stem.
14. adjective [usually ADJECTIVE noun]
You can describe an action as clean to indicate that it is carried out simply and quickly without mistakes.
They were more concerned about the dogs' welfare than a clean getaway.
Paul had arrested countless men like this one before and was expecting a clean, quickjob.
cleanlyadverb [ADVERB after verb, ADVERB -ed]
I struck the ball cleanly and my shot was on target.
15. adjective [usually verb-link ADJECTIVE]
If someone is clean, they no longer use drugs, especially illegal drugs.
A former heroin addict, he has been clean now for 12 years.
16.
See to come clean
17. to clean up your act
18. a clean bill of health
19. to make a clean breast of it
20. to keep your nose clean
21. a clean slate
22. to wipe the slate clean
23. a clean sweep
24. clean as a whistle
Phrasal verbs:
See clean out
See clean up
See clean up after
More Synonyms of clean
clean in British English
(kliːn)
adjective
1.
without dirt or other impurities; unsoiled
2.
without anything in it or on it
a clean page
3.
recently washed; fresh
4.
without extraneous or foreign materials
5.
without defect, difficulties, or problems
a clean test flight
6.
a.
(of a nuclear weapon) producing little or no radioactive fallout or contamination
b.
uncontaminated
Compare dirty (sense 11)
7.
(of a wound, etc) having no pus or other sign of infection
8.
pure; morally sound
9.
without objectionable language or obscenity
a clean joke
10.
(of printer's proofs, etc) relatively free from errors; easily readable
clean copy
11.
thorough or complete
a clean break
12.
dexterous or adroit
a clean throw
13. sport
played fairly and without fouls
14.
simple in design
a ship's clean lines
15. aeronautics
causing little turbulence; streamlined
16.
(of an aircraft) having no projections, such as rockets, flaps, etc, into the airstream
17.
honourable or respectable
18.
habitually neat
19.
(esp of a driving licence) showing or having no record of offences
20. slang
a.
innocent; not guilty
b.
not carrying illegal drugs, weapons, etc
c.
not or no longer addicted to (esp illegal) drugs
21. nautical(of a vessel)
a.
having its bottom clean
b.
having a satisfactory bill of health
22. Old Testament
a.
(of persons) free from ceremonial defilement
b.
(of animals, birds, and fish) lawful to eat
23. New Testament
morally and spiritually pure
24. clean sweep
verb
25.
to make or become free of dirt, filth, etc
the stove cleans easily
26. (transitive)
to remove in making clean
to clean marks off the wall
27. (transitive)
to prepare (fish, poultry, etc) for cooking
to clean a chicken
adverb
28.
in a clean way; cleanly
29. not standard
(intensifier)
clean forgotten
clean dead
30. clean bowled
31. come clean
noun
32.
the act or an instance of cleaning
he gave his shoes a clean
Derived forms
cleanable (ˈcleanable)
adjective
cleanness (ˈcleanness)
noun
Word origin
Old English clǣne; related to Old Frisian klēne small, neat, Old High German kleini
clean in American English
(klin)
adjective
1.
a.
free from dirt, contamination, impurities, etc.; unsoiled; unstained
b.
free from disease, infection, radioactivity, etc.
2. US
producing little immediate fallout
said of nuclear weapons
3.
producing few or no pollutants; non-polluting
clean energy
4.
recently laundered; fresh and unused
5.
a.
morally pure; sinless
b.
not obscene or indecent
a clean joke
6.
fair; sportsmanlike
a rough but clean contest
7.
keeping oneself or one's surroundings clean; neat and tidy
8.
a.
shapely; well-formed
a clean profile
b.
trim; not ornate
clean architectural lines
9.
skillful; deft
a clean stroke
10.
having no obstructions, flaws, or roughnesses; clear; regular
a clean drain
11.
entire; complete; thorough
a clean sweep
12.
having few corrections; legible
clean copy for the printer
13.
with nothing in it or on it
clean pockets, a clean sheet of paper
14. US, Slang
a.
not carrying a weapon, illegal drugs, etc.
b.
innocent of an alleged crime
c.
free from the use or presence of or from addiction to narcotics or other illicit drugs
15. Bible
a.
free from ceremonial defilement
b.
fit for food
said of certain animals
adverb
16.
in a clean manner
17. Informal
completely; wholly
clean forgotten
verb transitive
18.
to make clean
19.
to remove (dirt, impurities, etc.) in making clean
20.
to empty or clear
21.
to prepare (fish, fowl, etc.) for cooking
22. US, Slang
to take away or use up the money or possessions of
often with out
23. Weightlifting
to lift (a barbell) from the floor to the shoulders in one continuous movement
see also clean and jerk
verb intransitive
24.
to be made clean
25.
to perform the act of cleaning
Idioms:
clean out
clean up
clean up on
come clean
SYNONYMY NOTE: clean, the broader term, denotes generally the removal of dirt or impurities, as by washingor brushing; , cleanse suggests more specifically the use of chemicals, purgatives, etc., and is often usedmetaphorically to imply purification [to cleanse one's mind of evil thoughts]
OPPOSITES: soil, dirty
Derived forms
cleanable (ˈcleanable)
adjective
cleanness (ˈcleanness)
noun
Word origin
ME clene < OE clæne, clean, pure < IE *ĝ(e)lēi- < base *ĝel-, to gleam > OIr gel, gleaming, white, OHG kleini, gleaming, bright, fine (> Ger klein, small)
More idioms containing
clean
show someone a clean pair of heels
squeaky clean
come clean
clean as a whistle
make a clean breast of something
be given a clean bill of health
clean up your act
keep your nose clean
keep a clean sheet
start with a clean sheet
wipe the slate clean
make a clean sweep
make a clean sweep of something
Examples of 'clean' in a sentence
clean
She then stood over him while the deed was done, to ensure he was properly clean.
Jennifer Fallon TREASON KEEP (2001)
The rest was putting crude into Northern Europe and shipping clean out of the refineries.
Robert Wilson BLOOD IS DIRT (2001)
The room was cramped and its furnishings old, but clean and simple.
Lisa Scottoline ROUGH JUSTICE (2001)
In other languages
clean
British English: clean /kliːn/ ADJECTIVE
Something that is clean does not have any dirt or marks on it.
Make sure your hands are clean.
American English: clean
Arabic: نَظِيف
Brazilian Portuguese: limpo
Chinese: 清洁的
Croatian: čist
Czech: čistý
Danish: ren
Dutch: schoon
European Spanish: limpio
Finnish: puhdas siisti, tahraton
French: propre nettoyé
German: sauber
Greek: καθαρός
Italian: pulito
Japanese: 清潔な
Korean: 깨끗한
Norwegian: ren vasket
Polish: czysty
European Portuguese: limpo
Romanian: curat
Russian: чистый
Latin American Spanish: limpio
Swedish: ren inte smutsig
Thai: สะอาด
Turkish: temiz
Ukrainian: чистий
Vietnamese: sạch sẽ
British English: clean /kliːn/ VERB
When you clean something, you take all the dirt off it.
They cleaned the house from top to bottom.
American English: clean
Arabic: يُنَظِّفُ
Brazilian Portuguese: limpar
Chinese: 打扫
Croatian: čistiti
Czech: čistit
Danish: rense
Dutch: schoonmaken
European Spanish: limpiar
Finnish: puhdistaa
French: nettoyer
German: reinigen
Greek: καθαρίζω
Italian: pulire
Japanese: 掃除する
Korean: ...을 깨끗이 하다
Norwegian: rengjøre
Polish: wyczyścić
European Portuguese: limpar
Romanian: a curăța
Russian: чистить
Latin American Spanish: limpiar
Swedish: rengöra
Thai: ทำความสะอาด
Turkish: temizlemek
Ukrainian: чистити
Vietnamese: dọn sạch
All related terms of 'clean'
clean-cut
A man or boy who is clean-cut has a neat, tidy appearance.
clean out
If you clean out something such as a cupboard , room , or container , you take everything out of it and clean the inside of it thoroughly.
clean up
If you clean up a mess or clean up a place where there is a mess, you make things tidy and free of dirt again.
day-clean
the time after first dawn when the sun begins to shine ; clear daybreak
dry-clean
When things such as clothes are dry-cleaned , they are cleaned with a liquid chemical rather than with water.
Mr. Clean
an actual or idealized person with an impeccable record, reputation , or image, esp. a politician
clean cloth
A cloth is a piece of cloth which you use for a particular purpose, such as cleaning something or covering something.
clean hands
freedom from guilt
clean house
to clean and put a home in order
clean room
an environment, typically used in manufacturing or scientific research , in which environmental contaminants are kept to an absolute minimum
clean sheet
an instance of conceding no goals or points in a match or competition (esp in the phrase keep a clean sheet )
clean slate
a record without dishonour
clean sweep
an overwhelming victory
clean-tech
using clean technology
clean wool
wool that has been scoured to remove wax
come clean
to tell the truth about something
deep clean
an exceptionally intense cleaning process
house-clean
to clean the inside of a person's house
clean bowled
bowled by a ball that breaks the wicket without hitting the batsman or his bat
clean eating
Clean eating is the practice of eating only certain foods that are thought to be healthy and natural.
clean energy
energy, as electricity or nuclear power, that does not pollute the atmosphere when used, as opposed to coal and oil
clean-limbed
having well-proportioned limbs
clean-living
having a wholesome lifestyle
clean-shaven
If a man is clean-shaven , he does not have a beard or a moustache .
spring-clean
When you spring-clean a house, you thoroughly clean everything in it.
squeaky-clean
If you say that someone is squeaky clean , you mean that they live a very moral life and have never done anything wrong .
clean a room
If you clean a room , you make the inside of it and the furniture in it free from dirt and dust .
clean up on
to defeat; beat
a clean slate
If you start with a clean slate , you do not take account of previous mistakes or failures and make a fresh start.
a clean sweep
If you make a clean sweep of something such as a series of games or tournaments , you win them all.
clean-and-jerk
a lift in weightlifting in which the weight is held momentarily at shoulder height before being thrust overhead
clean technology
techniques used in manufacturing processes that minimize the damage caused to the environment
clean up after
If you clean up after someone, you clean or tidy a place that they have made dirty or untidy .
to come clean
If you come clean about something that you have been keeping secret , you admit it or tell people about it.
clean-cut image
The image of a person, group, or organization is the way that they appear to other people.
clean-up operation
An operation is a highly organized activity that involves many people doing different things.
with clean hands
without guilt ; as an innocent person
clean as a whistle
If you describe something as clean as a whistle , you mean that it is completely clean.
clean up one's act
to start to behave in a responsible manner
clean up your act
to improve your behaviour and start to act in a more socially responsible way
keep a clean sheet
in a football match , if a team keeps a clean sheet , no goals are scored against them
make a clean sweep
if someone who has just taken up a position of authority in an organization makes a clean sweep , they make a lot of changes, for example getting rid of a large number of employees , in order to make the organization more efficient or profitable
clean bill of health
a good report of one's physical condition
keep one's nose clean
to stay out of trouble ; behave properly
keep your nose clean
to behave well and avoid trouble
wipe the slate clean
to get rid of an existing system so that you can replace it with a new one
vacuum
If someone or something creates a vacuum , they leave a place or position which then needs to be filled by another person or thing.
a clean bill of health
If a doctor gives you a clean bill of health , they tell you that you are fit and healthy .
make a clean breast of
to make a confession of
to clean up your act
If someone who has been behaving badly cleans up their act , they start to behave in a more acceptable or responsible way .