clutter
1 of 2verb
clut·ter ˈklə-tər 
cluttered; cluttering; clutters
intransitive verb
chiefly dialectal : to run in disorder
transitive verb
: to fill or cover with scattered or disordered things that impede movement or reduce effectiveness
a room cluttered with toys
—often used with up Too many signs were cluttering up the street corner.
clutter
2 of 2noun
1
a
: a crowded or confused mass or collection
a clutter of motels and restaurants
b
: things that clutter a place
tried to minimize the unnecessary clutter in her house
2
: interfering radar echoes caused by reflection from objects (as on the ground) other than the target
3
chiefly dialectal : disturbance, hubbub
Synonyms
Noun
- agglomerate
- agglomeration
- alphabet soup
- assortment
- botch
- collage
- crazy quilt
- farrago
- gallimaufry
- grab bag
- gumbo
- hash
- hodgepodge
- hotchpotch
- jambalaya
- jumble
- jungle
- litter
- macédoine
- medley
- mélange
- menagerie
- miscellanea
- miscellany
- mishmash
- mixed bag
- montage
- motley
- muddle
- olio
- olla podrida
- omnium-gatherum
- pastiche
- patchwork
- patchwork quilt
- potpourri
- ragbag
- ragout
- rummage
- salad
- salmagundi
- scramble
- shuffle
- smorgasbord
- stew
- tumble
- variety
- welter
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
Verb The garage was cluttered with tools. Try to avoid cluttering your desk with books and papers. Noun There's a lot of unnecessary clutter in the house. a scrapbook that was a clutter of snapshots, diary entries, letters, and newspaper clippings
Recent Examples on the Web
Grayson Quay, The Week, 20 Aug. 2022 It’s the perfect place to stow potting soil, charcoal, garden tools and other items that would otherwise clutter up the terrace. Dan Diclerico, Good Housekeeping, 15 Aug. 2022 Penguin Coming-of-age novels tend to clutter up the shelves every summer, most of them not worth skimming past the title page; Different easily pulls away from that pile, a dazzling and wholly original debut. Leah Greenblatt, EW.com, 28 Aug. 2022 The warm, damp conditions can damage sensitive ingredients, and the bottles and tubes tend to clutter up what should ideally be a spot for getting ready in the morning. The Week Staff, The Week, 5 Oct. 2018 Gambel oaks, boxelder, New Mexico locust and a tangle of the eponymous willow trees clutter the slopes. Mare Czinar, The Arizona Republic, 8 July 2022 Tangled wires and unlabeled charging cords that clutter your desk drawers? Seventeen, 22 June 2022 College students looking to de-clutter their dorm rooms unload gently used casual wear and shoes, as well as men and women’s formal wear. AccessAtlanta, 27 May 2022 Vintage dolls, hats, figurines, masks, purses, toys, lanterns and framed photographs clutter every surface. Suzanne Van Atten, ajc, 12 Oct. 2013 Gail Linenberg, sun-sentinel.com, 20 Jan. 2022 The clutter of the archival portions of the show creates a deliberate dynamic between absence and fullness. Washington Post, 7 Jan. 2022 Systematically pinpoint everything that feels like clutter in your life. Serenity Gibbons, Forbes, 7 Dec. 2021 Here's how to scan documents and text to your Apple devices Looking to clean up the clutter? Kim Komando, USA TODAY, 1 Sep. 2022 More often than not, however, garages become clutter magnets. Mary Cornetta, Better Homes & Gardens, 31 Aug. 2022 There is a long white working table—no clutter from desks, cabinets, and shelves. Nathan Heller, Vogue, 23 Aug. 2022 Eliminating clutter is one of the principles underpinning Japanese design, and Sass deftly demonstrates it in the form of an arresting 10-foot-long island topped with a massive block of soapstone. House Beautiful, 22 July 2022 Remove all clutter from the steps, including items like magazines and shoes. Fox News, 20 July 2022 See More
Verb
Streaming platform HBO Max removed 36 movies and TV series by the end of the day on Friday, aiming to cut costs, pivot away from children's programming, and de-clutter the platform. Grayson Quay, The Week, 20 Aug. 2022 It’s the perfect place to stow potting soil, charcoal, garden tools and other items that would otherwise clutter up the terrace. Dan Diclerico, Good Housekeeping, 15 Aug. 2022 Penguin Coming-of-age novels tend to clutter up the shelves every summer, most of them not worth skimming past the title page; Different easily pulls away from that pile, a dazzling and wholly original debut. Leah Greenblatt, EW.com, 28 Aug. 2022 The warm, damp conditions can damage sensitive ingredients, and the bottles and tubes tend to clutter up what should ideally be a spot for getting ready in the morning. The Week Staff, The Week, 5 Oct. 2018 Gambel oaks, boxelder, New Mexico locust and a tangle of the eponymous willow trees clutter the slopes. Mare Czinar, The Arizona Republic, 8 July 2022 Tangled wires and unlabeled charging cords that clutter your desk drawers? Seventeen, 22 June 2022 College students looking to de-clutter their dorm rooms unload gently used casual wear and shoes, as well as men and women’s formal wear. AccessAtlanta, 27 May 2022 Vintage dolls, hats, figurines, masks, purses, toys, lanterns and framed photographs clutter every surface. Suzanne Van Atten, ajc, 12 Oct. 2013 Noun
Paper clutter is messy looking and buries important papers. Gail Linenberg, sun-sentinel.com, 20 Jan. 2022 The clutter of the archival portions of the show creates a deliberate dynamic between absence and fullness. Washington Post, 7 Jan. 2022 Systematically pinpoint everything that feels like clutter in your life. Serenity Gibbons, Forbes, 7 Dec. 2021 Here's how to scan documents and text to your Apple devices Looking to clean up the clutter? Kim Komando, USA TODAY, 1 Sep. 2022 More often than not, however, garages become clutter magnets. Mary Cornetta, Better Homes & Gardens, 31 Aug. 2022 There is a long white working table—no clutter from desks, cabinets, and shelves. Nathan Heller, Vogue, 23 Aug. 2022 Eliminating clutter is one of the principles underpinning Japanese design, and Sass deftly demonstrates it in the form of an arresting 10-foot-long island topped with a massive block of soapstone. House Beautiful, 22 July 2022 Remove all clutter from the steps, including items like magazines and shoes. Fox News, 20 July 2022 See More Word History
Etymology
Verb and Noun
Middle English clotteren to clot, from clot
First Known Use
Verb
1556, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense
Noun
1649, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Kids Definition
clutter 1 of 2
verb
clut·ter ˈklə-tər
cluttered; cluttering
: to fill or cover with scattered things
clutter
2 of 2noun
: a collection of scattered things
cluttered 1 of 2
adjective
as in messy
lacking in order, neatness, and often cleanliness keeping a cluttered workshop makes it hard to find the right tool Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- messy
- chaotic
- littered
- confused
- jumbled
- messed
- filthy
- sloppy
- muddled
- untidy
- dirty
- disheveled
- disarrayed
- tangled
- unkempt
- disordered
- disorderly
- disarranged
- rumpled
- shaggy
- stained
- wrinkled
- tumbled
- tousled
- mussed
- mussy
- higgledy-piggledy
- dishevelled
- dingy
- grimy
- polluted
- blackened
- smudged
- knotted
- nasty
- topsy-turvy
- squalid
- hugger-mugger
- pell-mell
- slovenly
- unclean
- sullied
- spotted
- grungy
- upside-down
- soiled
- grubby
- bedraggled
- contaminated
- mucky
- begrimed
- neglected
- out of joint
- dowdy
- befouled
- cruddy
- frowsy
- besmirched
- draggled
- uncleanly
- sloven
- at sixes and sevens
- shabby
- uncombed
- grotty
- tainted
- snarled
- defiled
- slatternly
- sordid
- foul
- neglectful
- adulterated
- frowzy
- bemired
- seedy
- negligent
- sleazy
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- uncluttered
- orderly
- organized
- tidy
- neat
- clean
- cleaned
- crisp
- kempt
- spotless
- shipshape
- trim
- immaculate
- sparkling
- ordered
- hygienic
- systematic
- antiseptic
- snug
- unsullied
- stainless
- cleanly
- tidied
- regular
- unsoiled
- methodical
- careful
- systematized
- neatened
- well-ordered
- methodic
- fussy
- meticulous
- fastidious
- spic-and-span
- finicky
- bandbox
- spick-and-span
- manicured
- unpolluted
- groomed
- combed
- wholesome
- untainted
- undefiled
- well-groomed
- taintless
cluttered
2 of 2verb
1
as in clogged
Synonyms & Similar Words
- clogged
- filled
- burdened
- encumbered
- stacked
- loaded
- packed
- weighted
- overloaded
- piled
- saddled
- freighted
- overburdened
- ladened
- taxed
- handicapped
- hampered
- heaped
- weighed
- mounded
- overtaxed
- lumbered
- laded
- afflicted
- oppressed
- strained
- surcharged
- pressed
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- unburdened
- unloaded
- discharged
- disencumbered
- unladed
- lightened
- disburdened
- relieved
- alleviated
- eased
2
as in disorganized
Synonyms & Similar Words
- disorganized
- jumbled
- disheveled
- disarrayed
- muddled
- disordered
- disjointed
- disarranged
- disrupted
- shuffled
- tousled
- mussed
- deranged
- rumpled
- confused
- upset
- dishevelled
- disturbed
- dislocated
- scrambled
- tangled
- discomposed
- hashed
- snarled
- embroiled
- tumbled
- unsettled
- entangled
- perturbed
- mixed (up)
- agitated
- messed (up)
- stirred (up)
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- organized
- tidied
- arranged
- disposed
- regulated
- ordered
- ranged
- arrayed
- aligned
- straightened (up)
- classified
- lined
- marshalled
- marshaled
- lined up
- systematized
- adjusted
- queued
- fixed
- codified
- alined
- drew up
- made up
- systemized
- groomed
- methodized
- spruced (up)
- unscrambled
- exsufflation
- exsufflations
- exsufflicated
- exsufflicates
- exsufflicating
- ext
- Ext D&C color
- extant
- extanter
- extantest
- extasy
- extemporal
- extemporally
- extemporaneities
- extemporaneity
- extemporaneous
- extemporaneously
- extemporaneousness
- extemporaneousnesses
- extemporarily
- extemporarinesses
- extemporary
- extempore
- extempores
- extemporisation