spotty

American  

[spot-ee] / ˈspɒt i /

adjective

spottier, spottiest

1. full of, having, or occurring in spots.

   spotty coloring.

2. irregular or uneven in quality or character.

   a spotty performance.

   Synonyms:

   episodic, sporadic, random, erratic

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spotty British  

/ ˈspɒtɪ /

adjective

1. abounding in or characterized by spots or marks, esp on the skin

   a spotty face

2. not consistent or uniform; irregular or uneven, often in quality

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Other Word Forms

• spottily adverb
• spottiness noun

Etymology

Origin of spotty

Middle English word dating back to 1300–50; spot, -y ¹

Example Sentences

Yet many people with excess weight don’t take the shots due to cost, spotty insurance coverage and fear of needles.

From The Wall Street Journal

If service in the house is spotty, move the router to a more central location.

From The Wall Street Journal

So, if the Wi-Fi is so spotty that they see the need to contact you, absorbing the difference could be the decent thing to do.

From MarketWatch

A problem soon arose: The link between Kyiv and two cabins—on the truck that had been replaced—was spotty.

From The Wall Street Journal

The agency authorized them for emergency use based on antibody data after trials showed spotty efficacy against infections and severe illness.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• erratic
• patchy
• sporadic
• uneven