Clutter is a messy collection of things scattered around in a disorganized way. When your desk is covered with papers, pencils, old snack wrappers, and random toys, that's clutter. When a closet is so stuffed with clothes, shoes, and sports equipment that you can't find anything, that's clutter too.

Clutter happens when we don't put things back where they belong or when we keep accumulating stuff without getting rid of what we don't need anymore. A room with clutter feels crowded and chaotic, making it hard to find what you're looking for or to focus on what you're doing.

The word can also be a verb: you can clutter up a space by leaving things lying around. Someone might say, “Don't clutter your room with all those old magazines” or “Please declutter your backpack so you can actually find your homework.”

Clutter doesn't just mean physical mess. Your mind can feel cluttered too, when you're thinking about too many things at once and can't focus. Teachers sometimes talk about cluttered writing, meaning the sentences are packed with unnecessary words that make the main idea hard to understand.