motley
adjective
exhibiting great diversity of elements.
motley
1 American
[mot-lee]
/ ˈmɒt li /
adjective
-
exhibiting great diversity of elements.
a motley crowd.
- Synonyms:
- divergent, dissimilar, diversified, disparate, incongruous, sundry, assorted, mixed, diverse, varied, heterogenous
- Antonyms:
- like, similar, identical, uniform, homogeneous
-
being of different colors combined.
a motley flower border.
- Synonyms:
- polychromatic, variegated, multicolored, parti-colored, dappled, mottled, piebald, pied
- Antonyms:
- solid, monochromatic
-
wearing a parti-colored garment.
a motley fool.
noun
-
motleys
plural
-
a combination of different colors.
-
a parti-colored effect.
-
the parti-colored garment of a jester.
-
a heterogeneous assemblage.
-
a medley.
- Synonyms:
- miscellany, jumble, hodgepodge, conglomeration, farrago, gallimaufry, pastiche, potpourri, olio
Motley
2
American
[mot-lee]
/ ˈmɒt li /
noun
motley
British
/ ˈmɒtlɪ /
adjective
-
made up of elements of varying type, quality, etc
-
multicoloured
noun
-
a motley collection or mixture
-
the particoloured attire of a jester
-
obsolete a jester
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of motley
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English motele, motlay, mottelay “mixture of colors, variegated; a parti-colored garment”; of uncertain origin; perhaps akin to mote 1. See -ly ( def. )
Explanation
If you've encountered the word motley, it's most likely in the phrase "motley crew," which means a diverse and poorly organized group. Think of a band of pirates, or the assorted characters who became The Fellowship of the Ring. In contemporary usage, motley can be used in virtually any context as a synonym for mismatched, heterogeneous, or ragtag. But the word was first used to describe multicolored fabric, especially the type of material used in a jester's costume. This distinctive apparel was a sign of the fool's place outside the class system — and, in the Elizabethan era, it signified that the jester was beyond the sumptuary laws that determined who could wear what. Thus, the fool had the exceptional ability to speak freely, even to royalty.
Vocabulary lists containing motley
"Easter, 1916" by W.B. Yeats
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100 SAT Words Beginning with "M"
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"Marita's Bargain," Vocabulary from the essay
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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.
See Examples For:
At first, this motley crew of activists took care to insist they were not against data centers writ large.
From Slate ● Aug. 6, 2026
Packed onto a motley assortment of couches and chairs, the group of college students and 20-somethings come from families worth a collective $7 billion.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 1, 2026
“What actually does work is a platform built by a motley crew of highly technical people,” he said.
From MarketWatch ● May 4, 2026
The musicians are part of a motley crew of public figures and aid groups descending on the island by air and sea this week with medicine, water, food, solar panels and other supplies.
From Barron's ● Mar. 20, 2026
The bus was packed with a motley group of men and women who represented the spectrum of ages, neighborhoods, backstories, and motivations.
From "The Other Wes Moore: One Name, Two Fates" by Wes Moore
Cullen died Wednesday in his Los Angeles home, his agent Kevin Motley confirmed to The Times on Thursday.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 27, 2026
The state said at the time that Motley had filed civil lawsuits for private clients that raised many of the same issues as those “raised in the litigation for which the firm represents the State.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 11, 2026
“Biotech will be a comparative outperformer,” says Motley Fool biotech analyst Karl Thiel.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 3, 2025
His older brother introduced him to the bands that would become his musical awakening: Def Leppard, Motley Crüe, Poison, Warrant, and Guns N’ Roses.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 1, 2025
Motley collections of stray animals have always populated racetracks, and being the social creatures they are, horses usually befriend them.
From "Seabiscuit: An American Legend" by Laura Hillenbrand
So we make ourselves "motleys to the view, and sell cheap what is most dear."
From Education and the Higher Life by J. L. Spalding
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.
