spotty

adjective

spot·​ty ˈspä-tē How to pronounce spotty (audio)
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 adverb
spottiness noun

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 Due to dry conditions, poppy displays will be spotty. Roger Naylor, The Arizona Republic, 24 Feb. 2024 The spotty insurance coverage for drugs for weight loss means some Americans have to pay cash for the uber-popular medications, exposing them to increases in list prices. Tami Luhby, CNN, 15 Feb. 2024 Confidence: Medium Tonight: Plenty of clouds with a few spotty evening showers still possible. Molly Robey, Washington Post, 11 Feb. 2024 Cellphone service recently arrived, but connections are spotty. Muktita Suhartono Nyimas Laula, New York Times, 9 Feb. 2024 Superhero movies, which have traditionally been surefire draws, have had spotty performances lately. Samantha Delouya, CNN, 28 Feb. 2024 But to assess the full arc of global warming, scientists typically combine this data with 19th-century thermometer readings that were often spotty and inexact. Raymond Zhong, New York Times, 5 Feb. 2024 Despite his spotty diplomatic and security record, growth under Khan averaged at 6% for his last two years in office, despite headwinds such as the pandemic. TIME, 5 Feb. 2024 Unfortunately, his forecasting track record since 1887 has been a bit spotty. Aliza Chasan, CBS News, 2 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'spotty.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of spotty was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near spotty

Cite this Entry

“Spotty.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spotty. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

spotty

adjective
spot·​ty ˈspät-ē How to pronounce spotty (audio)
spottier; spottiest
1
: having spots
2
: not always the same especially in quality
your work has been spotty
spottily adverb
spottiness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on spotty

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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