adjective
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abounding in or characterized by spots or marks, esp on the skin
a spotty face
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not consistent or uniform; irregular or uneven, often in quality
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Adjectives
Etymology
Origin of spotty
Middle English word dating back to 1300–50; see origin at spot, -y 1
Explanation
Something that's spotty is uneven or inconsistent, especially in quality. If you can never rely on your internet connection when you're trying to watch a movie, you can call the connection spotty. The spotty reporting of your local newspaper means that every once in a while it publishes a well-written, newsworthy article, but often it's not worth reading. And your spotty attention during biology class probably means you'll need extra review sessions before you take the final exam. You can also use this adjective to mean "spotted" or "covered with spots," like your spotty Dalmatian puppy.
Vocabulary lists containing spotty
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.
See Examples For:
While robot servers nabbed some fun headlines, slow and spotty Wi-Fi, aging devices and confusing order-placing software were making it difficult for staff to serve customers, he said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
"Simon measured the length of their fourth feather, which tells their age, and from the colour of their feathers, if they are spotty they are females and the non-spotty ones are males," she added.
From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026
Many detention facilities reportedly suffer from overcrowding, unsanitary conditions, and spotty access to healthcare.
From Slate ● Jul. 8, 2026
Luckily, I happen to love a spotty banana — or two, or more.
From Salon ● Jun. 20, 2026
My grass be kind a spotty and I still got a big yellow mark where Treelore’s pickup sat for three months after the accident.
From "The Help" by Kathryn Stockett
While alternative data on jobs was ubiquitous, price information was far spottier.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 12, 2025
For rural Washingtonians, where lower incomes coupled with spottier service options make connecting all the more difficult, the ACP is more than just internet access; it’s a lifeline.
From Seattle Times ● Jan. 17, 2024
The record is a little spottier when voters were asked directly to choose which specific candidate would better handle the economy.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 27, 2023
Researchers have found a shared trait in the butterflies that make it: The edges of their wings tend to be slightly spottier.
From New York Times ● Jun. 21, 2023
Tide gauges are much spottier in the north, leading to missed predictions of storm surges, Way says.
From Science Magazine ● Mar. 8, 2023
According to Moyn, Popper's critique of Hegel and Marx "relied on the spottiest possible knowledge of their works."
From Salon ● Sep. 17, 2023
Susan Shaffer, a volunteer in the Presidio's immigration room, found that most children being processed were accompanied by only the spottiest documentation.
From Time Magazine Archive
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.
