Motley
1 Americannoun
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
plural
motleys-
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
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
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. )
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.
History, by this model, offers motley warnings, reality-checks and sober inspirations for the work ahead in place of a master narrative.
From Salon
When she and her family inevitably left town and didn’t stumble upon Charlie Brown and his motley crew, she was perplexed.
From Los Angeles Times
When my now-husband and I moved into our first apartment, we realized we had between us a motley crew: three forks, two knives, a couple spoons.
From Los Angeles Times
The first film I saw in a theater was “The Love Bug,” Disney’s 1969 comedy about a sentient Volkswagen Beetle named Herbie and the motley team who race him to many a checkered flag.
From Los Angeles Times
Through their perspectives, black humor flows freely, as the motivations and experiences that brought this motley crew together rise to the surface.
From Los Angeles Times
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.
