Standard Lemma guide

shipshape

adj · adv · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˈʃɪpʃeɪp/
  • Received-Pronunciation: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • General-American: /ˈʃɪpˌʃeɪp/
  • CMU ARPABET: SH IH1 P SH EY2 P Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Meticulously neat and tidy.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: shipshape and Bristol fashion, tight, all Sir Garnet, Bristol fashion and shipshape, in order, neat, neat and tidy, neat as a new pin, neat as a pin, nice as ninepence, orderly, prest, regular, ruly, shipshape, squared away, tidy, tiptop, tosh, trig, trim, well-kept

Antonyms: chaotic, cluttered, disorderly, messy, ree-raw, riotous, sluttish, tempestuous, tumultuary, tumultuous, turbulent, untidy

2

adv

Meaning 2

Neatly and tidily to a meticulous extent.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: handsomely

Antonyms: none provided

3

adjective satellite

Meaning 3

of places; characterized by order and neatness; free from disorder

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • even the barn was shipshape
  • a trim little sailboat

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: trim, well-kept

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From ship + shapen (“shaped; wrought with a definite shape”), later shortened to shape. The word is of nautical origin, based on the obligation of a sailor to keep his or her quarters arranged neatly and securely due to the limited space typically allotted to service members aboard ship, and against turbulence at sea.

Across languages

Translations

22 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: в отлично състояние (v otlično sǎstojanie) — meticulously neat and tidy
  • Czech: úpravný — meticulously neat and tidy
  • Czech: úhledný — meticulously neat and tidy
  • Czech: tip ťop — meticulously neat and tidy
  • Czech: bezvadný — meticulously neat and tidy
  • Czech: dokonalý — meticulously neat and tidy
  • Czech: v pořádku — meticulously neat and tidy
  • Georgian: აკურატული (aḳuraṭuli) — meticulously neat and tidy
  • Georgian: აკრძალვითად (aḳrʒalvitad) — meticulously neat and tidy
  • German: picobello — meticulously neat and tidy
  • German: tipptopp — meticulously neat and tidy
  • Hindi: ठीक-ठाक (ṭhīk-ṭhāk) — meticulously neat and tidy
  • Irish: slachtmhar — meticulously neat and tidy
  • Polish: schludny — meticulously neat and tidy
  • Polish: staranny — meticulously neat and tidy
  • Polish: uporządkowany — meticulously neat and tidy
  • Portuguese: ordenado — meticulously neat and tidy
  • Spanish: bien orientado — meticulously neat and tidy
  • Spanish: ordenado — meticulously neat and tidy
  • Tagalog: maayos — meticulously neat and tidy
  • Polish: schludnie — neatly and tidily to a meticulous extent
  • Polish: starannie — neatly and tidily to a meticulous extent