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

• aperiodic
• casual
• catchy
• choppy
• discontinuous
• episodic
• episodical
• erratic
• fitful
• intermittent
• irregular
• occasional
• spasmodic
• spastic
• sporadic
• unsteady

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

My research is admittedly spotty, but the cinema of in-your-face obstetrics has always felt like a primarily European art-film phenomenon. —Justin Chang, New Yorker, 25 Apr. 2025

Take your time—cell service is spotty, and the slow pace is part of the charm. —Amplified Content Studio, Mercury News, 22 Apr. 2025

Tariffs essentially act as a tax on imports, though their direct link to inflation historically has been spotty. —Jeff Cox, CNBC, 16 Apr. 2025

Front-office officials tried to communicate with Dončić about a plan to get him back on the court, but communication between the two sides was spotty. —C. Clark, D. Aldridge, S. Amick, F. Katz, New York Times, 9 Apr. 2025

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