scattered
Americanadjective
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distributed or occurring at widely spaced and usually irregular intervals.
scattered villages; scattered showers.
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dispersed; disorganized.
scattered forces.
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distracted or disorganized.
scattered thoughts.
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Meteorology. (of clouds) covering up to one-half of the sky.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of scattered
Explanation
When things are scattered, they’re spread out all over the place. If the forecast calls for scattered showers, it’ll rain here and there. Items lying at random intervals and at some distance from each other can be described as scattered. Your birthday cake might be scattered with sprinkles, and the floor of your little sister's room might be scattered with Lego blocks. Another meaning of scattered is "messy" or "disordered" — you can describe yourself as scattered if you're feeling disorganized and confused. The word scatter is probably related to shatter, "break into pieces," from a Middle English root.
Vocabulary lists containing scattered
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.
Visitors were greeted by security forces in flak jackets, some in military camouflage and others toting submachine guns, scattered amid a landscape of green pastures, wooden chalets and snowy peaks.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 21, 2026
Wood said the scattered references reflect a character actively trying to figure out who he wants to be.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 20, 2026
But borders are borders, and once Strickland has been ejected, it doesn’t take long for everyone to get back to Fan Festing at the various octagons scattered around the Ellipse.
From Slate • Jun. 16, 2026
Shortly afterwards, he received a call informing him they had already been scattered in the Garden of Remembrance "because they believed that was the instruction from the funeral director".
From BBC • Jun. 12, 2026
Floor lights and other pieces of equipment were scattered around sets that were sectioned off into cubbyholes.
From "The Red Car to Hollywood" by Jennie Liu
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.
