spotty

1 of 2

adjective

spot·​ty ˈspä-tē How to pronounce spotty (audio)
spottier; spottiest
Synonyms of spottynext
1
: marked with spots : spotted
2
: lacking uniformity especially in quality
the performance was spotty
also : irregularly or sparsely distributed
spotty attendance
spotty data
spottily
ˈspä-tə-lē How to pronounce spotty (audio)
adverb
spottiness
ˈspä-tē-nəs How to pronounce spotty (audio)
noun

spottiness

2 of 2

noun

spot·​ti·​ness -ät|ēnə̇s How to pronounce spottiness (audio)
-ät|, 
|in-
plural -es
: the quality or state of being spotty
economical, clean heat without spottiness or drafts—Better Homes & Gardens
the spottiness of American labor history is due largely to … the business cycles—Roger Burlingame

Synonyms of spotty

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Adjective

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of spotty in a Sentence

Adjective Her work has been spotty. The service at that restaurant is a little spotty. students with spotty attendance records
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Adjective
The flood threat from Western Texas to southwest Kansas is expected to start winding down Monday, but some spotty flooding is still possible. — ABC News, 25 Oct. 2026 Warmer temperatures and spotty showers Thursday Thursday morning started relatively quiet across South Florida, although a few showers developed in Broward, including near Oakland Park and Ferncrest Village. — Lissette Gonzalez, CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026 Even without hard blocks, agents’ access to retailers is spotty. — Mia Sato, The Verge, 22 Oct. 2026 Although the heaviest rain is over, according to meteorologists with the National Weather Service, people across the Southwest can expect spotty rain and high tides for the next couple of days. — Fedor Zarkhin, Los Angeles Times, 11 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for spotty

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of spotty was in the 14th century

Rhymes for spotty

See All Rhymes for spotty

Browse Nearby Words

spottle
spotty
spot up
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Spotty.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spotty. Accessed 29 Oct. 2026.

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Kids Definition

spotty

adjective
spot·​ty ˈspät-ē How to pronounce spotty (audio)
spottier; spottiest
1
: having spots
2
: not always the same especially in quality
your work has been spotty
spottily
ˈspät-ᵊl-ē How to pronounce spotty (audio)
adverb
spottiness
ˈspät-ē-nəs How to pronounce spotty (audio)
noun
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