spottier; spottiest
2
: lacking uniformity especially in quality
the performance was spotty
also
: irregularly or sparsely distributed
spotty attendance
spotty data
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
Rainfall in autumn can be spotty.
—
Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 25 Oct. 2025
The internet is spotty in the village, which means voice messages every week or two, and no FaceTime.
—Vidushi Mishti Sharma, Rolling Stone, 24 Oct. 2025
For starters, Pullman’s world-building is spotty, probably intentionally so.
—Lev Grossman, The Atlantic, 23 Oct. 2025
And those trying to sell real estate right now, struggling with a spotty, slumpy market since the post-pandemic boom, are eager to make a sale in any currency.
—Kim Velsey, Curbed, 17 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for spotty
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Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 25 Oct. 2025
The internet is spotty in the village, which means voice messages every week or two, and no FaceTime.
—Vidushi Mishti Sharma, Rolling Stone, 24 Oct. 2025
For starters, Pullman’s world-building is spotty, probably intentionally so.
—Lev Grossman, The Atlantic, 23 Oct. 2025
And those trying to sell real estate right now, struggling with a spotty, slumpy market since the post-pandemic boom, are eager to make a sale in any currency.
—Kim Velsey, Curbed, 17 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for spotty
Cite this Entry
“Spotty.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spotty. Accessed 28 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
spotty
adjective
spot·ty
ˈspät-ē 
spottier; spottiest
1
: having spots
2
: not always the same especially in quality
your work has been spotty
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