spotty

adjective

spot·​ty ˈspä-tē How to pronounce spotty (audio)
spottier; spottiest
Synonyms of spottynext
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
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.
Then there's a spotty shower or thunderstorm risk late Wednesday afternoon into the evening with a cold front. Matthew Delucia, CBS News, 27 May 2026 Those roadblocks include confusing portals, privacy concerns, outdated devices, spotty internet and hard-to-follow health information. Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 27 May 2026 Command has been somewhere between spotty and nonexistent across Imai’s first five major-league starts. Chandler Rome, New York Times, 26 May 2026 Some spotty, swirling nail art. Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 25 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for spotty

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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Spotty.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spotty. Accessed 28 May. 2026.

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

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster