patchier; patchiest
1
: marked by, consisting of, or diversified with patches
2
: irregular in appearance, makeup, or quality
Examples of patchy in a Sentence
The lawn is kind of patchy this year.
Patchy fog made driving difficult.
His knowledge of the language is patchy.
She has only a patchy understanding of his condition.
Recent Examples on the Web
Winds will relax Sunday night and, under clear skies, enough cooling by Monday morning could support a brief, patchy light freeze in the low-lying spots of the Hill Country and along the Balcones Escarpment.
—
Newsroom Meteorologist, Austin American Statesman, 22 Feb. 2026
But data is patchy, so physicists also let their intuition guide them.
—Quanta Magazine, 20 Feb. 2026
The densest fog will be possible for inland areas, but patchy to dense fog developed in southern Miami-Dade COunty and the Upper Keys earlier today.
—Shane Hinton, CBS News, 19 Feb. 2026
Visibility will be greatly reduced in dense fog and some patchy freezing fog is possible through daybreak, especially on bridges and elevated roadways, according to the National Weather Service in Wilmington.
—Cheryl Vari, Cincinnati Enquirer, 16 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for patchy
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Newsroom Meteorologist, Austin American Statesman, 22 Feb. 2026
But data is patchy, so physicists also let their intuition guide them.
—Quanta Magazine, 20 Feb. 2026
The densest fog will be possible for inland areas, but patchy to dense fog developed in southern Miami-Dade COunty and the Upper Keys earlier today.
—Shane Hinton, CBS News, 19 Feb. 2026
Visibility will be greatly reduced in dense fog and some patchy freezing fog is possible through daybreak, especially on bridges and elevated roadways, according to the National Weather Service in Wilmington.
—Cheryl Vari, Cincinnati Enquirer, 16 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for patchy
Cite this Entry
“Patchy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/patchy. Accessed 24 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
patchy
adjective
patchier; patchiest
: consisting of or marked by patches : resembling patchwork
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
