English Profile

clean · adjective

/kliːn/Full view

Word family

Nouns: cleaner, cleanliness, cleaning

Adjectives: clean, unclean

Verbs: clean

Adverbs: cleanly

clean (NOT DIRTY)

A1 not dirty

Dictionary examples:

a clean white shirt

clean air/water

Make sure your hands are clean before you have your dinner.

Learner example:

I like this place, because I have got a beautiful room. It is very clean and nice. (Skills for Life (Entry 1); A1; Slovak)

clean (NO CRIME)

C2 showing that you have not done anything illegal

Dictionary example:

a clean driving licence

Learner example:

Of course, it is a strain to portray a clean image and avoid scandals. (Certificate of Proficiency in English; C2; German)

clean · verb T

/kliːn/

Word family

Nouns: cleaner, cleanliness, cleaning

Adjectives: clean, unclean

Verbs: clean

Adverbs: cleanly

clean

A1 to remove dirt from something

Dictionary examples:

I'm going to clean the windows this morning.

You should always clean your teeth after meals.

He asked her to help him clean out the cupboards.

Learner example:

She clean[s] the house every day. (Skills for Life (Entry 1); A1; Kurdish)

clean sth out or clean out sth

C2 to take everything out of a room, car, container, etc. and clean the inside of it

Dictionary example:

I cleaned out the fridge this morning.

Learner example:

The owner, an almost illiterate woman, claimed to have come across the diary as she was cleaning out the attic. (Certificate of Proficiency in English; C2; Portuguese)

clean (sth/sb) up (MAKE CLEAN)

C1 to make a person or place clean and tidy

Dictionary example:

We have to clean up before we leave.

Learner example:

During our accom[m]odation there, nobody came to clean up the room and the staff was not very friendly. (Certificate in Advanced English; C1; Greek)

clean (sth/sb) up (REMOVE POLLUTION)

C1 to remove pollution from somewhere

Dictionary example:

They are developing processes to clean up polluted rivers.

Learner example:

I can also help by distributing leaflets which contain information on how to start cleaning up the environment. (International English Language Testing System; C1; Tagalog)