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Synonyms

patchy

American  
[pach-ee] / ˈpætʃ i /

adjective

patchier, patchiest

  1. characterized by or made up of patches. patch.

  2. occurring in, forming, or like patches. patch.

  3. of inconsistent or irregular quality, texture, etc.; not uniform.

    patchy acting; patchy areas of fog.
patchy British  
/ ˈpætʃɪ /

adjective

  1. irregular in quality, occurrence, intensity, etc

    a patchy essay

  2. having or forming patches

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • patchily adverb
  • patchiness noun

Etymology

Origin of patchy

First recorded in 1790–1800; patch 1 + -y 1

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 progress has been slowed by lower than anticipated demand, with many consumers put off by higher upfront costs and still patchy charging infrastructure.

From Barron's • Mar. 23, 2026

Aston Villa's Ollie Watkins was long considered the deputy, scoring the winner in the Euro 2024 semi-final against the Netherlands, but his patchy club form means he is not even included in this squad.

From BBC • Mar. 20, 2026

Fulham's form is patchy but I've seen enough of them this season to know they are a good team on their day, when they click.

From BBC • Mar. 19, 2026

The images revealed that what begins as a uniform CMC coating can break apart into uneven, patchy fragments during electrode processing, which may weaken battery performance and stability.

From Science Daily • Feb. 20, 2026

She carried the rolls back to the Nest and spread them out to make a patchy lawn.

From "The Wild Robot" by Peter Brown

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.