spotty

[ spot-ee ]

/ ˈspɒt i /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR spotty ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective, spot·ti·er, spot·ti·est.

full of, having, or occurring in spots: spotty coloring.

irregular or uneven in quality or character: a spotty performance.

Nearby words

spotted wilt, spotted wintergreen, spottedly, spotter, spottie, spotty, spousal, spousally, spouse, spout, spout cup

Origin of spotty

Middle English word dating back to 1300–50; see origin at spot, -y¹

SYNONYMS FOR spotty

2 erratic, random, sporadic, episodic.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR spotty ON THESAURUS.COM

Related forms

spot·ti·ly, adverbspot·ti·ness, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for spotty

But in the painting, because this is a Thomas Kinkade piece, Spotty looks like a sweet little Dalmatian.
The Drunken Downfall of Evangelical America's Favorite Painter|Zac Bissonnette|June 8, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He had, as Weisbrode points out, a great reverence for the institution of monarchy, but a spotty record with monarchs.
Bags of Swank: The Unlikely Alliance Between Churchill and George VI|Michael Korda|October 19, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Third, he relied on spotty intelligence and the threat of chemical weapons to justify a preemptive strike.
A Veteran Sees Echoes of Iraq and Argues Against Intervention in Syria|Brian Van Reet|September 9, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Because the cooling system was also spotty, all doors were always open.
Cruise Ships: They’re Just Floating Bathrooms|Brian David Bruns|February 13, 2013|DAILY BEAST

Promotion has been spotty for officers who distinguished themselves by their imagination in either war.
New Biography of General Petraeus Misses the Man|John Barry|February 2, 2012|DAILY BEAST
All the light went with her, it seemed to Garth, and the cabin became a sordid, spotty little hole.
Two on the Trail|Hulbert Footner
Spotty called a halt when he had gone a couple of miles, and considered the question of the unjustness of his master.
The Sweep Winner|Nat Gould
The high lights may now be strengthened, taking care not to make them violent or spotty.
The Art and Practice of Silver Printing|H. P. Robinson
Spotty was a genial, kindly soul, with whom I had various dealings.
The Indians of the Painted Desert Region|George Wharton James
Spotty isn't a mammal, as are all of you and all those we have been learning about, but is a reptile.
The Burgess Animal Book for Children|Thornton W. Burgess

British Dictionary definitions for spotty

spotty

/ (ˈspɒtɪ) /

adjective -tier or -tiest

abounding in or characterized by spots or marks, esp on the skina spotty face

not consistent or uniform; irregular or uneven, often in quality

Derived Forms

spottily, adverbspottiness, noun

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