patchier; patchiest
1
: marked by, consisting of, or diversified with patches
2
: irregular in appearance, makeup, or quality
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
In January, the clothing label Guess launched a rebrand campaign composed of lowercase copy in acid-yellow type over grainy selfie-style photos; the Guess logo is printed over patchy white highlights, as if someone had hastily scratched out the surface beneath the word in Photoshop.
—
Kyle Chayka, New Yorker, 6 May 2026
Everton’s record at their new Hill Dickinson Stadium has been patchy.
—Mark Carey, New York Times, 4 May 2026
Wondering why your under eyes look cakey, patchy, and dry?
—Izzy Baskette, PEOPLE, 3 May 2026
Lows fall into the upper 40s to low 50s, with just a very low chance for some patchy shallow fog early, but nothing widespread.
—Nelly Carreño, CBS News, 2 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for patchy
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Kyle Chayka, New Yorker, 6 May 2026
Everton’s record at their new Hill Dickinson Stadium has been patchy.
—Mark Carey, New York Times, 4 May 2026
Wondering why your under eyes look cakey, patchy, and dry?
—Izzy Baskette, PEOPLE, 3 May 2026
Lows fall into the upper 40s to low 50s, with just a very low chance for some patchy shallow fog early, but nothing widespread.
—Nelly Carreño, CBS News, 2 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for patchy
Cite this Entry
“Patchy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/patchy. Accessed 8 May. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
patchy
adjective
patchier; patchiest
: consisting of or marked by patches : resembling patchwork
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