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

In the meantime, remaining markets offer patchy selections of fruits and vegetables. — Los Angeles Times, 4 Aug. 2026

As Greenhalgh wrote, the engineers had stitched together patchy data and extrapolated it to two decimal points with false precision. — Evan Osnos, New Yorker, 3 Aug. 2026

Regardless of the patchy progress on some of Saudi’s most ambitious projects, visitors will see a country barely recognizable from the recent past. — Mohammed Sergie, semafor.com, 29 July 2026

Grass may turn limp, yellow, and patchy when there’s too much water. — Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 29 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