clean
[adjective]
Synonyms:
- pure, flawless, fresh, immaculate, impeccable, spotless, unblemished, unsullied
- hygienic, antiseptic, decontaminated, purified, sterile, sterilized, uncontaminated, unpolluted
- moral, chaste, decent, good, honourable, innocent, pure, respectable, upright, virtuous
- complete, conclusive, decisive, entire, final, perfect, thorough, total, unimpaired, whole
[verb]
Synonyms:
- cleanse, disinfect, launder, purge, purify, rinse, sanitize, scour, scrub, wash

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Antonyms: dirty, unclean, soil
Contrasted words: dingy, grimy, grubby, messy, mussy, slovenly, filthy, foul, noisome, begrime, daub, dirty, sully, besmirch, defile, pollute
Related Idioms: clean as a whistle (or new penny), make spick-and-span
Related Words: bright, shining, sparkling, fresh, pure, untainted, wholesome, do, neaten, order, police, spruce, straighten (up), tidy, trim, brighten, freshen, furbish, recondition, renew, renovate

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English Thesaurus: clean, wash, wipe, scrub, rinse, ...

[TahlilGaran] English Synonym Dictionary ▲

I. clean¹ S2 W2 /kliːn/ adjective (comparative cleaner, superlative cleanest)
[Word Family: noun: cleaner, cleaning, cleanliness, clean, cleanser; verb: clean, cleanse; adverb: clean, cleanly; adjective: clean ≠ unclean]
[Language: Old English; Origin: clæne]

1. NOT DIRTY without any dirt, marks etc Antonym : dirty:
Are your hands clean?
clean towels
Make sure you keep the wound clean.
Wipe that sink clean when you’re done.
As usual, she left her room clean and tidy before going to school.
a spotlessly clean kitchen
I want you to get those plates as clean as a whistle.

2. PEOPLE/ANIMALS having a clean appearance and habits:
Cats are naturally clean.

3. ENVIRONMENT containing or producing nothing that is dirty or harmful ⇒ cleanly
clean air/water/energy etc
the Clean Air Act
cleaner fuels

4. FAIR OR LEGAL
a) done in a fair or legal way Antonym : dirty:
a clean fight
b) showing that you have followed the rules:
a clean driving licence
He’s got a clean record.
c) [not before noun] informal not hiding any weapons or illegal drugs:
They searched him, but he was clean.
d) [not before noun] no longer taking illegal drugs:
Dave’s been clean for two years now.

5. NOT OFFENSIVE talk, jokes, behaviour etc that are clean are not offensive or about sex Antonym : dirty:
Oh, don’t get mad – it’s just good clean fun!
Keep it clean (=do not offend people with what you say).
clean living (=a way of life which is healthy and moral)

6. come clean informal to finally tell the truth about something you have been hiding
come clean about
The government should come clean about its plans.

7. make a clean breast of it to admit that you have done something wrong so that you no longer feel guilty

8. a clean break
a complete and sudden separation from a person, organization, or situation:
Den left the next day, needing to make a clean break.

9. clean sheet/slate a record of someone’s work, behaviour, performance etc that shows they have not done anything wrong or made any mistakes:
Jed looked forward to starting life again with a clean sheet.
Lewis has kept a clean sheet in every game (=not let the other team score).

10. clean hands if a person, government, organization etc has clean hands, they have done something in a fair or legal way:
Neither side is coming to the negotiating table with completely clean hands.

11. PAPER a piece of paper that is clean has not yet been used Synonym : fresh

12. SMOOTH having a smooth or regular edge or surface ⇒ cleanly:
a clean cut
Use a clean simple typeface for signs.

13. a clean bill of health a report that says you are healthy or that a machine or building is safe:
Inspectors gave the factory a clean bill of health.

14. a clean sweep
a) a very impressive victory in a competition, election etc
a clean sweep for
All the polls had pointed to a clean sweep for the Democrats.
Hopes that the French would make a clean sweep at the Games were dashed.
b) a complete change in a company or organization, often by removing people

15. TASTE having a fresh pleasant taste:
Add a little lemon juice to give the pasta a cool clean taste.

16. clean copy a piece of writing without mistakes or other marks written on it

17. MOVEMENT a clean movement in sport is skilful and exact:
He steadied his arm, hoping for a clean shot.
—cleanness noun [uncountable]
⇒ clean-cut, ⇒ keep your nose clean at nose¹(9)

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

II. clean² S1 W3 verb
[Word Family: noun: cleaner, cleaning, cleanliness, clean, cleanser; verb: clean, cleanse; adverb: clean, cleanly; adjective: clean ≠ unclean]

1. [intransitive and transitive] to remove dirt from something by rubbing or washing ⇒ cleanse:
Your shoes need cleaning.
Is it easy to clean?
clean something down/off
We clean the machines down at the end of each day.
clean something off/from something
He used a tissue to clean his fingerprints off the gun. ⇒ dry-clean, ⇒ spring-clean at spring-cleaning

2. [intransitive and transitive] to clean a building or other people’s houses as your job:
Anne comes in to clean twice a week.

3. clean your teeth British English to make your teeth clean using a toothbrush and toothpaste Synonym : brush your teeth American English

4. [transitive] to remove the inside parts of an animal or bird before cooking it:
Harry caught the fish and cleaned them himself.

5. clean your plate to eat all your food
⇒ clean-up

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

III. clean³ adverb
[Word Family: noun: cleaner, cleaning, cleanliness, clean, cleanser; verb: clean, cleanse; adverb: clean, cleanly; adjective: clean ≠ unclean]
used to emphasize the fact that an action or movement is complete and thorough
clean away/through/out
The thieves got clean away with $300,000 worth of equipment.
The car hit her with such force that she was lifted clean off the ground.
Sorry, I clean forgot (=completely forgot) your birthday.

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

IV. clean⁴ noun [singular] British English
[Word Family: noun: cleaner, cleaning, cleanliness, clean, cleanser; verb: clean, cleanse; adverb: clean, cleanly; adjective: clean ≠ unclean]
a process in which you clean something:
The car needs a good clean.

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

clean
adj.
VERBS be, look, seem, smell The room smelled clean and fresh.
stay The bathroom doesn't stay clean for long.
brush sth, get sth, scrape sth, scrub sth, wipe sth scrubbing the floor to get it clean She wiped all the surfaces clean.
leave sth Please leave the kitchen clean.
keep sth You're supposed to keep your room clean.
ADV. extremely, very | spotlessly The whole house was spotlessly clean.
almost, nearly It's almost clean. I've just got to wipe the table.
fairly, pretty, quite
PHRASES clean and tidy Is your room clean and tidy now?
lovely and clean The water was lovely and clean.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

clean
verb
ADV. effectively, well This product cleans baths very effectively.
properly, thoroughly I clean the house thoroughly once a week.
carefully, gently He gently cleaned the wound and dressed it.
out, up I cleaned out all the cupboards.
PREP. off I cleaned the mud off the kitchen floor.
with Clean the glass with a soft cloth.
PHRASES need cleaning Your shoes need cleaning!

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

clean

clean clothes
He had a shower and changed into clean clothes.
a clean shirt/sheet/towel etc
Where are all my clean socks?
clean hands
Make sure you have clean hands before you eat.
keep something clean
You should always keep your kitchen clean.
wipe something clean (=use a cloth to clean a surface)
He started to wipe the blackboard clean.
sweep/scrub something clean (=use a brush to clean something)
She quickly swept the floor clean.
leave something clean
Please leave the apartment clean when you go.
spotlessly/scrupulously clean (=very clean)
Hospitals must be kept scrupulously clean.
squeaky clean (=completely clean)
I like my hair to be squeaky clean.
nice and clean (=clean)
Their job is to keep the streets nice and clean.
clean and tidy especially BrE:
I insist my children keep their rooms clean and tidy.
neat and clean especially AmE:
Her kids were always neat and clean.
clean as a whistle (=very clean)
The place was clean as a whistle.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

clean
verb
BAD: The local residents would like to clean the neighbourhood.
GOOD: The local residents would like to clean up the neighbourhood.

Usage Note:
clean up = (1) clean a place, especially by taking away all the things which make it look dirty, untidy or unattractive: 'You can play in your bedroom as long as you promise to clean it up afterwards.' (2) make an area or organization a better place for people to live or work in, especially by removing criminals, corrupt officials, etc: 'It's time someone cleaned up this city; we have one of the highest crime rates in the country.'

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Common Errors ▲

clean to remove dirt from something:
I need to clean the car.
Clean the mud off your shoes.
wash to clean something with water and usually soap:
She’s washing her hair.
There’s nowhere to wash your clothes.
wipe to clean a surface with a cloth, often a wet cloth:
Wipe the worktop when you’ve finished cooking.
scrub to wash something by rubbing it hard, especially with a brush:
They made her scrub the floor.
rinse to remove dirt from something using water, especially after washing it with soap:
Rinse your hair thoroughly after shampooing it.
cleanse formal to clean your skin, using water or a special cream:
There are many products available for cleansing your skin.
bathe /beɪð/ to clean a wound or a part of your body with water:
Bathe the cut and put a plaster on it.
do the dishes (also do the washing-up British English) to wash plates and pans after a meal:
Who’s going to help me do the dishes?
do the laundry (also do the washing British English) to wash clothes:
On Tuesdays, he does the washing.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

clean without any dirt or marks:
They need clean water to drink.
I don’t have any clean clothes.
pure water or air that is pure does not contain any dirt, pollution, or bacteria:
I breathed in the pure mountain air.
sterile /ˈsteraɪl $ -rəl/ completely clean, with no bacteria, and therefore safe for medical or scientific use:
Place a sterile bandage on the wound.
sterile needles
spotless completely clean – used mainly about rooms and clothes:
Her kitchen is always spotless.
pristine /ˈprɪstiːn/ completely clean and new-looking:
He wore a pristine white shirt.
immaculate as clean and tidy as it is possible to be:
The soldiers’ uniforms have to be immaculate.
spick and span [not before noun] informal clean and tidy, especially after having just been cleaned:
By the end of the day, the whole place was spick and span.
wash to clean something with water and usually soap:
She’s washing her hair.
There’s nowhere to wash your clothes.
wipe to clean a surface with a cloth, often a wet cloth:
Wipe the worktop when you’ve finished cooking.
scrub to wash something by rubbing it hard, especially with a brush:
They made her scrub the floor.
rinse to remove dirt from something using water, especially after washing it with soap:
Rinse your hair thoroughly after shampooing it.
cleanse formal to clean your skin, using water or a special cream:
There are many products available for cleansing your skin.
bathe /beɪð/ to clean a wound or a part of your body with water:
Bathe the cut and put a plaster on it.
do the dishes (also do the washing-up British English) to wash plates and pans after a meal:
Who’s going to help me do the dishes?
do the laundry (also do the washing British English) to wash clothes:
On Tuesdays, he does the washing.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

environmentally friendly not harmful to the environment:
Cycling is very environmentally friendly.
environmentally friendly holidays
Is there such a thing as an environmentally friendly car?
eco-friendly [usually before noun] not harmful to the environment – used especially about products:
We always try to use eco-friendly cleaning products.
eco-friendly coffins made from newspapers
green [usually before noun] not harmful to the environment – used especially in the following phrases:
green products
green technology
green energy
It was voted the greenest building in Britain.
clean [usually before noun] clean fuels or forms of energy do not release any harmful substances into the atmosphere:
We need cleaner fuels for cars and other road vehicles.
clean energy sources such as solar panels and wind turbines
renewable renewable energy comes from sources that can be easily replaced naturally, so that there is always more available:
The building is heated using renewable energy from the sun.
The government needs to invest more in renewable energy sources.
Wind power is renewable and produces no greenhouse gases during operation.
sustainable using the earth’s resources, without causing damage to the environment – used especially about farming, ways of living, and development:
The flowers are produced to high environmental standards using sustainable farming methods.
Many people want to lead more sustainable lifestyles and to conserve the planet’s resources.
sustainable use of the world’s resources
carbon-neutral balancing the amount of carbon gases that you put into the earth’s atmosphere with other activities that will effectively reduce the amount of carbon gases, for example by planting trees:
a carbon-neutral company
Stirling is aiming to become the UK’s first carbon neutral city.
All new homes will be carbon-neutral.
low-carbon [usually before noun] producing only a small amount of carbon:
Research is being done into the development of low-carbon electricity.
We will need to have a low-carbon economy.
low-energy [usually before noun] low-energy buildings and lightbulbs use very little energy:
Position is a key factor in the design of a low-energy house.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

clean
kli:n
See: come clean , keep one's nose clean , make a clean breast of , new broom sweeps clean , take to one's heels , also show a clean pair of heels

[TahlilGaran] English Idioms Dictionary ▲