spotty

adjective

spot·​ty ˈspä-tē 

spottier; spottiest

1

: marked with spots : spotted

2

: lacking uniformity especially in quality

the performance was spotty

also : irregularly or sparsely distributed

spotty attendance

spotty data

spottily

ˈspä-tə-lē 

adverb

spottiness

ˈspä-tē-nəs 

noun

Synonyms of spotty

• sporadic
• intermittent
• occasional
• erratic

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

Warmer days are ahead, with spotty showers and thunderstorms possible to start the weekend, the National Weather Service says. —Kansas City Star, 6 May 2026

Wetter by Wednesday A few spotty showers may move through on Tuesday with a cold front west of us but most neighborhoods stay dry. —Rachael Jay, CBS News, 3 May 2026

That’s the case where the 49ers are concerned and their spotty record under coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch in identifying premium talent in the first two rounds. —Jerry McDonald, Mercury News, 1 May 2026

However, Hometap has a spotty customer service record, and its product can be very risky for some homeowners. —Kelsey Neubauer, CNBC, 1 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for spotty

• dotty
• doughty
• draughty
• haughty
• knotty
• naughty
• potty
• scottie
• strati
• zloty
• basmati
• bharati

Kids 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

spottily

ˈspät-ᵊl-ē 

adverb

spottiness

ˈspät-ē-nəs 

noun