spottier; spottiest
2
: lacking uniformity especially in quality
the performance was spotty
also
: irregularly or sparsely distributed
spotty attendance
spotty data
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
Gray’s command, spotty throughout, rapidly deteriorated in the bottom of the third.
—
Gabrielle Starr, Boston Herald, 15 Apr. 2026
Sleeping was spotty the first month.
—Nicole Sours Larson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Apr. 2026
While coverage will be spotty, a few storms on Tuesday could become strong to severe west of our area.
—Nelly Carreno, CBS News, 13 Apr. 2026
Within the monument, most of the roads are gravel or dirt, and there is no drinkable water, no food, no gas and spotty cellphone coverage.
—Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for spotty
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Gabrielle Starr, Boston Herald, 15 Apr. 2026
Sleeping was spotty the first month.
—Nicole Sours Larson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Apr. 2026
While coverage will be spotty, a few storms on Tuesday could become strong to severe west of our area.
—Nelly Carreno, CBS News, 13 Apr. 2026
Within the monument, most of the roads are gravel or dirt, and there is no drinkable water, no food, no gas and spotty cellphone coverage.
—Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for spotty
Cite this Entry
“Spotty.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spotty. Accessed 21 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationKids 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
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