spring-clean

/'spriɳkli:n/

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Word: Spring-clean

Part of Speech: Verb

Definition: To thoroughly clean the entire house, often done once a year, usually in the spring. This cleaning is more detailed than regular cleaning; it involves moving furniture, dusting, washing windows, and organizing items.

Usage Instructions:

• When to Use: You can use "spring-clean" when talking about a deep cleaning of your home, usually at the beginning of spring, but it can also refer to any time you do a thorough cleaning.
• How to Use: It can be used in various tenses, such as "I spring-cleaned my house yesterday" or "We are going to spring-clean this weekend."

Examples:

1. "She started spring-cleaning on April 1, and she found many things she had forgotten about."
2. "Every year, we spring-clean our home to get rid of the dust and clutter."

Advanced Usage:

• You might use "spring-clean" metaphorically to describe a situation where you clean up or organize something in your life, such as "I need to spring-clean my schedule to make time for more important activities."

Word Variants:

• Spring-cleaning (noun): The act of spring-cleaning itself.
  • Example: "Spring-cleaning can make your home feel fresh and new."
• Spring-cleaned (adjective): Describing a home that has recently been spring-cleaned.
  • Example: "The spring-cleaned kitchen looked amazing!"

Different Meanings:

• Spring-clean specifically refers to cleaning, but the word "spring" itself can also refer to the season between winter and summer.

Synonyms:

• Deep clean
• Thorough clean
• Declutter
• Tidy up

Idioms and Phrasal Verbs:

• While there are not many idioms specifically related to "spring-clean," you may find phrases like:
  • "Clean house" - which can mean to remove unnecessary items or people from your life.
  • "Clean slate" - starting fresh or anew, similar to how you might feel after a spring cleaning.

Academic

Verb

1. thoroughly clean the entire house, often done only once a year
   • she started spring-cleaning on April 1