clutter

clutter — noun

1. A messy arrangement of objects that fill a space, giving it a disorderly look an

1.nounB1
Definition

A messy arrangement of objects that fill a space, giving it a disorderly look and making it hard to find what you need.

Example

The desk was covered in clutter — old papers, empty coffee cups, and pens everywhere.

collocation: covered in clutter

Aiko spent the whole morning sorting through the clutter in her wardrobe.

collocation: sorting through clutter

Common collocations
  • clear the clutter
  • sort through the clutter
  • full of clutter
  • covered in clutter
  • clutter-free
Synonyms
  • mess

    more general than clutter; can refer to dirt, stains, or general disarray rather than specifically too many objects

  • disorder

    broader and more formal; can apply to systems, rules, or behavior, not just physical objects

  • jumble

    emphasizes that items are mixed together without order; clutter emphasizes sheer quantity of things

Antonyms
  • tidiness

    the state of being neat and well-organized

  • order

    a condition where everything is in its proper place

Grammar Patterns

a clutter of + plural noun

covered in / full of / filled with clutter

Common Mistakes

The room was full of clutters.
The room was full of clutter.
Clutter is an uncountable noun and does not take a plural form.

clutter — verb

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four words describe a lack of order, but they differ in scope and emphasis. 'Clutter' specifically means too many objects filling a space — it is about quantity and overcrowding rather than dirt or chaos. 'Mess' is the broadest term: a kitchen can be a mess because of spilled flour (dirt), stacked dishes (clutter), or both. 'Disorder' is more formal and abstract; you can have disorder in a filing system without anything being physically messy. 'Jumble' emphasizes that items are mixed up randomly — a jumble of keys and coins in a drawer — whereas 'clutter' could simply mean too many things, even if partly organized. For a learner: say 'My desk is cluttered' when there are too many papers on it; say 'My desk is a mess' if it has coffee stains and sticky notes everywhere.

mess ↗disorder ↗jumble

Common collocations

Nouns

  • desk clutter
  • kitchen clutter
  • digital clutter
  • visual clutter

Adverbs

  • terribly cluttered
  • hopelessly cluttered
  • badly cluttered

Phrases

  • cut through the clutter
  • clutter and chaos

Prepositions

  • cluttered with
  • clutter up

Etymology

Old EnglishMiddle EnglishModern English

Clutter likely comes from Middle English 'clotteren', meaning to form into clots or lumps, related to the word 'clot'. The verb sense of crowding things together in disorder emerged in the 1500s, and the noun sense of a disordered collection followed in the 1600s. Originally it described things stuck together in clumps; later it shifted to describe objects piled carelessly.