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:
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
One impediment has been the spotty availability of charging infrastructure.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 30, 2026
The court’s uploading system was spotty that morning, the aide said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 3, 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
Everyone else had spotty coverings of skinny, peapod-colored seedlings that they watered two, three, four times a day, depending on the weather.
From "Typical American" by Gish Jen
While alternative data on jobs was ubiquitous, price information was far spottier.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 12, 2025
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
Tide gauges are much spottier in the north, leading to missed predictions of storm surges, Way says.
From Science Magazine ● Mar. 8, 2023
But the play of the veterans at guard and center has been spottier.
From Seattle Times ● Sep. 23, 2022
The officials who run the tournament have a spottier record when it comes to solidarity.
From New York Times ● Jan. 21, 2022
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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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
