spottier; spottiest
2
: lacking uniformity especially in quality
the performance was spotty
also
: irregularly or sparsely distributed
spotty attendance
spotty data
Synonyms
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
Essentially, that means as Kentucky approaches and undergoes totality, at around 3 p.m., calls are more likely to be spotty or drop more frequently.
—
Marina Johnson, The Courier-Journal, 25 Mar. 2024
Essentially, that means as Indiana approaches and undergoes totality, at around 3 p.m., calls are more likely to be spotty or drop more frequently.
—Marina Johnson, The Indianapolis Star, 25 Mar. 2024
While Biden and other EV fans say electric cars are widely beneficial for both drivers and the climate, critics complain that EVs are more expensive, slow to recharge, have smaller ranges, especially in cold weather, and that the charging infrastructure is spotty.
—Trevor Hughes, USA TODAY, 23 Mar. 2024
Can Arkansas find more quality wideouts? Andrew Armstrong emerged into a solid lead receiver last season with 56 catches for 764 yards and 5 touchdowns, but the production behind him was spotty, particularly after the loss of tight end Luke Hasz in Week 5.
—Tom Murphy, arkansasonline.com, 7 Mar. 2024
After any early spotty showers, partly to mostly cloudy conditions will brighten us a bit.
—A. Camden Walker, Washington Post, 28 Jan. 2024
Historically, that has left millions of people with no or spotty service or facing sky-high prices just to get a basic internet plan.
—Brian Fung, CNN, 23 Mar. 2024
The developer has struggled to fill the rooms, and its formerly homeless tenants say they’ve felt abandoned as mold grows, violence persists and elevator service in the 15-story building remains spotty.
—Liam Dillon, Los Angeles Times, 19 Mar. 2024
Ford is recalibrating its electric vehicle strategy with EV sales slowing sharply as mainstream consumers balk at high prices and spotty charging infrastructure.
—Keith Naughton, Fortune, 24 Feb. 2024
Marina Johnson, The Courier-Journal, 25 Mar. 2024
Essentially, that means as Indiana approaches and undergoes totality, at around 3 p.m., calls are more likely to be spotty or drop more frequently.
—Marina Johnson, The Indianapolis Star, 25 Mar. 2024
While Biden and other EV fans say electric cars are widely beneficial for both drivers and the climate, critics complain that EVs are more expensive, slow to recharge, have smaller ranges, especially in cold weather, and that the charging infrastructure is spotty.
—Trevor Hughes, USA TODAY, 23 Mar. 2024
Can Arkansas find more quality wideouts? Andrew Armstrong emerged into a solid lead receiver last season with 56 catches for 764 yards and 5 touchdowns, but the production behind him was spotty, particularly after the loss of tight end Luke Hasz in Week 5.
—Tom Murphy, arkansasonline.com, 7 Mar. 2024
After any early spotty showers, partly to mostly cloudy conditions will brighten us a bit.
—A. Camden Walker, Washington Post, 28 Jan. 2024
Historically, that has left millions of people with no or spotty service or facing sky-high prices just to get a basic internet plan.
—Brian Fung, CNN, 23 Mar. 2024
The developer has struggled to fill the rooms, and its formerly homeless tenants say they’ve felt abandoned as mold grows, violence persists and elevator service in the 15-story building remains spotty.
—Liam Dillon, Los Angeles Times, 19 Mar. 2024
Ford is recalibrating its electric vehicle strategy with EV sales slowing sharply as mainstream consumers balk at high prices and spotty charging infrastructure.
—Keith Naughton, Fortune, 24 Feb. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'spotty.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near spotty
Cite this Entry
“Spotty.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spotty. Accessed 17 Apr. 2024.
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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