checkered
Americanadjective
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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
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.
We are here because one spring day in May, Joshua Fox, a 31-year-old Black disabled veteran with post-traumatic stress disorder and a checkered past, stood up and stress-tested Eatherly’s business model.
From Slate ● Aug. 20, 2026
These businesses are promising but not proven, and automakers have a checkered history with diversification.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026
They have a checkered performance history and can be difficult to sell.
From Barron's ● Jun. 16, 2026
It’s also worth remembering the meme-stock ETF’s checkered past.
From MarketWatch ● Apr. 21, 2026
“Can you tell me the time, please?” the boy said, taking a very close look at Victor’s checkered sweater.
From "The Thief Lord" by Cornelia Funke
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.
