patchy

adjective

ˈpa-chē 

patchier; patchiest

1

: marked by, consisting of, or diversified with patches

2

: irregular in appearance, makeup, or quality

patchily

ˈpa-chə-lē 

adverb

patchiness

ˈpa-chē-nəs 

noun

Examples of patchy in a Sentence

The lawn is kind of patchy this year.

Patchy fog made driving difficult.

His knowledge of the language is patchy.

She has only a patchy understanding of his condition.

Recent Examples on the Web

Even in Europe, charging infrastructure can be patchy and electricity fees expensive, leading to a wide range of BEV adoption levels. — James Morris, Forbes.com, 20 July 2026

Africa’s young population and patchy broadband networks offer global operators an attractive mix of scale and unmet demand. — Tiisetso Motsoeneng, semafor.com, 17 July 2026

Underneath a sky of wildfire smoke and haze, the teams played through four hydration breaks, injury stoppages, oppressive summer heat and a patchy pitch. — Meg Linehan, New York Times, 17 July 2026

See a dermatologist if hair shedding lasts more than six to eight weeks, worsens suddenly, becomes patchy, or does not improve. — Sherri Gordon, Health, 13 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1583, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for patchy

• catchy
• scratchy
• apache
• malachi

Kids Definition

patchy

adjective

ˈpach-ē 

patchier; patchiest

: consisting of or marked by patches : resembling patchwork