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:
Although the heaviest rain is over, according to meteorologists with the National Weather Service, people across the Southwest can expect spotty rain and high tides for the next couple of days.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 11, 2026
The candidate later told The New York Times that her memory of the incident was spotty, but that she recalled kicking the men until they fled.
From Barron's ● Oct. 8, 2026
She said her memory of what happened was spotty and she did not get a good look at either of the two assailants, but described them as white men, according to the New York Times.
From BBC ● Oct. 8, 2026
One impediment has been the spotty availability of charging infrastructure.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 30, 2026
My bunkmate got a spotty rash on his chest, and soon he was so delirious he couldn’t speak or understand a word I said to him.
From "Prisoner B-3087" by Alan Gratz
While alternative data on jobs was ubiquitous, price information was far spottier.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 12, 2025
He had worked for years at the Javits Center in New York City, but his employment was spottier in later years.
From Seattle Times ● Oct. 4, 2023
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
The difference is subtle: The successful butterflies were only about 3 percent spottier.
From New York Times ● Jun. 22, 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
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