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• motley
  motley

  adjective

  exhibiting great diversity of elements.
• Motley
  Motley

  noun

  John Lothrop 1814–77, U.S. historian and diplomat.

motley

¹ American  

[mot-lee] / ˈmɒt li /

adjective

1. 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

2. being of different colors combined.

   a motley flower border.

   Synonyms:

   polychromatic, variegated, multicolored, parti-colored, dappled, mottled, piebald, pied

   Antonyms:

   solid, monochromatic

3. wearing a parti-colored garment.

   a motley fool.

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noun

• motleys
  plural

1. a combination of different colors.

2. a parti-colored effect.

3. the parti-colored garment of a jester.

4. a heterogeneous assemblage.

5. a medley.

   Synonyms:

   miscellany, jumble, hodgepodge, conglomeration, farrago, gallimaufry, pastiche, potpourri, olio

Motley ² American  

[mot-lee] / ˈmɒt li /

noun

1. John Lothrop 1814–77, U.S. historian and diplomat.

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motley British  

/ ˈmɒtlɪ /

adjective

1. made up of elements of varying type, quality, etc

2. multicoloured

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noun

1. a motley collection or mixture

2. the particoloured attire of a jester

3. obsolete a jester

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• motleys
  plural

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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. )

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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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

motley Motley motleys

This time, however, the motley resistance wouldn’t include a fictional Warner Bros. executive.

From Slate ● Sep. 1, 2026

How much funnier Shakespeare’s motley crew can be when we’re allowed to discover the variety of eccentricity and ludicrousness on display for ourselves.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026

Once they put on the uniforms of their ancestral homeland, though, this motley group of far-flung footballers turned into the World Cup’s biggest surprise.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 27, 2026

“What actually does work is a platform built by a motley crew of highly technical people,” he said.

From MarketWatch ● May 4, 2026

If he crept back to Winterfell empty-handed, he might as well dress in motley henceforth and wear a pointed hat; the whole north would know him for a fool.

From "A Clash of Kings" by George R.R. Martin

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

Think of the judges who turned their back on Constance Baker Motley, or who wouldn’t say her name—those were the other judges in those districts.

From Slate ● Jan. 6, 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

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Related Words

• disparate
• kaleidoscopic

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