dappled

adjective

dap·​pled ˈda-pəld 

variants or less commonly dapple

ˈda-pəl 

: marked with small spots or patches contrasting with the background

a dappled fawn

Synonyms of dappled

• dotted

Examples of dappled in a Sentence

a forest that was vibrant with the dappled foliage of autumn

Recent Examples on the Web

Today, the 4,000-square-foot home still known as the Lechner House sprawls out over two floors with large windows that fill the house with dappled light filtered through the surrounding trees. —Mark David, Robb Report, 29 Nov. 2025

Loropetalum performs well in full sun to part shade, as well as dappled sunlight. —Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 25 Nov. 2025

Move it into dappled light or morning sun for about a week. —Leanne Potts, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 Nov. 2025

Our next shot is a wide-field view of the world-famous Eiffel Tower in Paris, France, lit in gold with the light of the full moon shining from behind a delicate formation of dappled clouds, as captured on the night of Nov. 5 by photographer Thibaud Moritz. —Anthony Wood, Space.com, 6 Nov. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for dappled

• grappled

Kids Definition

dappled

adjective

dap·​pled

ˈdap-əld

variants also dapple

: marked with numerous usually cloudy and rounded spots or patches of a color or shade different from their background

a dappled fawn

rested in the dappled shade