spotty

adjective

spot·​ty ˈspä-tē 

spottier; spottiest

1

: marked with spots : spotted

2

: lacking uniformity especially in quality

the performance was spotty

also : irregularly or sparsely distributed

spotty attendance

spotty data

spottily

ˈspä-tə-lē 

adverb

spottiness

ˈspä-tē-nəs 

noun

Synonyms of spotty

• sporadic
• intermittent
• occasional
• erratic

Examples of spotty in a Sentence

Her work has been spotty.

The service at that restaurant is a little spotty.

students with spotty attendance records

Recent Examples on the Web

The episode also revived attacks on the show’s spotty vetting after reports that Strader had been arrested in 2017 on suspicion of burglarizing the house of an ex-girlfriend. —Los Angeles Times, 24 Mar. 2026

The chance of rain begins to increase a little on Friday with spotty showers in the forecast through Saturday. —Lissette Gonzalez, CBS News, 24 Mar. 2026

Ivišić’s play was a welcome development after his production was spotty in the last three games of the regular season and the Big Ten Tournament. —Colleen Kane, Chicago Tribune, 23 Mar. 2026

Her payments were spotty, the lawyer said, but overall, the case had been open-and-shut. —Maggie Harrison Dupré, Futurism, 18 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for spotty

• dotty
• doughty
• draughty
• haughty
• knotty
• naughty
• potty
• scottie
• strati
• zloty
• basmati
• bharati

Kids Definition

spotty

adjective

spot·​ty ˈspät-ē 

spottier; spottiest

1

: having spots

2

: not always the same especially in quality

your work has been spotty

spottily

ˈspät-ᵊl-ē 

adverb

spottiness

ˈspät-ē-nəs 

noun