checkered
Americanadjective
-
marked by numerous and various shifts or changes; variegated.
a checkered career.
-
marked by dubious episodes; suspect in character or quality.
a checkered past.
-
marked with squares.
a checkered fabric.
-
diversified in color; alternately light and shadowed.
the checkered shade beneath trees.
Other Word Forms
- uncheckered adjective
Etymology
Origin of checkered
Explanation
The author who sells a million copies of her first book, four of the second, wins a prize for the third and dies at the ceremony has had a checkered career: it's got bright spots and dark ones, like a checkerboard. Checkered is a funny word; it can be used to describe the red and white pattern on a classic tablecloth or the up's and down's of someone's past. You could describe the flag that's waved at a Nascar event as checkered. And if the winning Nascar driver used to work at a car wash, you could say he has had a checkered career.
Vocabulary lists containing checkered
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
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The Circuit
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Musk’s previous combinations of SolarCity with Tesla and X —formerly Twitter—with xAI point to a checkered history of value creation via mergers.
From Barron's • Feb. 3, 2026
Veterans from both countries’ industries believe that checkered history speaks to some of the challenges ahead for Trump’s plan.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 8, 2026
Barbieland author Tarpley Hitt tells us all about the checkered past of the world’s most famous doll.
From Slate • Jan. 6, 2026
Theme parks have long had a checkered reputation when it comes to dining.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 22, 2025
Portia’s house was dark except for the checkered moonlight on the floor.
From "The Heart is a Lonely Hunter" by Carson McCullers
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
