checkered
Americanadjective
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marked by numerous and various shifts or changes; variegated.
a checkered career.
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marked by dubious episodes; suspect in character or quality.
a checkered past.
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marked with squares.
a checkered fabric.
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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.
But regardless of what he calls himself, Lamb’s behavior aligns with a movement with a deeply checkered history.
From Slate ● Jul. 23, 2026
They have a checkered performance history and can be difficult to sell.
From Barron's ● Jun. 16, 2026
He describes both men as “generational” talents, but Mr. Niemann, for all his gifts, has a past sufficiently checkered to give credence to Mr. Carlsen’s allegations.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 3, 2026
It’s also worth remembering the meme-stock ETF’s checkered past.
From MarketWatch ● Apr. 21, 2026
His old checkered tie hung loose around his neck, as if he’d been pulling at it.
From "Shooting Kabul" by N. H. Senzai
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.
