spotty
[spot-ee]
- full of, having, or occurring in spots: spotty coloring.
- irregular or uneven in quality or character: a spotty performance.
Show More
Origin of spotty
Synonyms
See more synonyms for spotty on Thesaurus.com2. erratic, random, sporadic, episodic.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for spotty
Contemporary Examples
But in the painting, because this is a Thomas Kinkade piece, Spotty looks like a sweet little Dalmatian.
He had, as Weisbrode points out, a great reverence for the institution of monarchy, but a spotty record with monarchs.
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 SyriaBrian Van Reet
September 9, 2013
Because the cooling system was also spotty, all doors were always open.
Promotion has been spotty for officers who distinguished themselves by their imagination in either war.
Historical Examples
Spotty wagged his tail as they drove off, but he would not follow the wagon.
Four Little Blossoms at Brookside FarmMabel C. Hawley
Spotty appeared at the barn door, wagging his tail engagingly.
Four Little Blossoms at Brookside FarmMabel C. Hawley
Spotty was apparently as glad to see them, and in his way tried to tell them so.
Four Little Blossoms at Brookside FarmMabel C. Hawley
That's what those dirty, spotty looking things on the Hills call it.
Janet of the DunesHarriet T. Comstock
Spotty the Turtle was also there, not to mention Longlegs the Heron.
The Burgess Animal Book for ChildrenThornton W. Burgess
spotty
- abounding in or characterized by spots or marks, esp on the skina spotty face
- not consistent or uniform; irregular or uneven, often in quality
Show More
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
Word Origin and History for spotty
adj.
mid-14c., "marked with spots," from spot (n.). Meaning "unsteady, uneven" is attested from 1932, from a more specific use with reference to painting (1812).
Show More
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper