declutter
dee-KLUT-er
/diːˈklʌt.ər/
To remove unnecessary items from an untidy or overcrowded place.
Declutter specifically implies a mindful, organizational process of sorting and discarding, rather than just moving things out of sight.
The story behind the word. Formed by adding the prefix 'de-' (meaning to undo) to the Middle English word 'clutter' (which originally meant to clot or crowd together). It emerged as a distinct, popular lifestyle term in the late 20th century as consumer culture led to an excess of household goods.
Word relationships
- streamline: Streamline focuses on making a system or process more efficient, whereas declutter focuses on removing physical items from a space.
- purge: Purge is much more intense and often carries a connotation of complete, sometimes ruthless elimination.
- hoard: Hoard means to accumulate and guard a large hidden store of items, the exact opposite of decluttering.
- clutter: Clutter means to fill a space with scattered, messy items.
Commonly confused with
- organize: Organizing means putting items in order (which could still leave too many items), while decluttering means actually getting rid of things.
Word family
- decluttered (adjective): Having had unnecessary items removed.
- decluttering (noun): The act of removing unnecessary items.
Collocations
- declutter your home
- declutter your mind
- decluttering process
- declutter the room
Example sentences
- "If you want to declutter your mind, you must first declutter your physical workspace." A modern self-help book advising readers on lifestyle minimalism.
- "She decided to declutter her closet before buying any new winter coats." A home organization article discussing seasonal cleaning.
Memory hook
Think of cutting down a 'clump' of 'clutter' to make a room 'clear'. De-clutter: Undo the clutter clot!
When not to use
Do not use when you are simply wiping away dirt or washing surfaces; it refers strictly to the removal of excess physical objects.
Fun facts
- The word 'declutter' didn't regularly appear in major dictionaries until the late 20th century, tracking the rise of modern minimalism.
Explore more words
discard, downsize, Cleanliness, streamline, minimalist, prune
Also appears in
Take your vocabulary further with LangBlitz
Our English vocabulary app: FSRS spaced repetition, 5,000+ curated words across 119 topic groups, CEFR A1 to C2. Explore your mastery with the beautiful Vocabulary World feature.