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

Rodríguez — who at 22 years and 254 days old became the youngest player to pitch for the Yankees since Deivi Garcia did so in 2021 — initially worked around his spotty control, escaping the first inning despite a pair of walks. —Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 29 Apr. 2026

But by the summer of 1969, Mellencamp’s participation in the group was spotty or had ended. —Literary Hub, 29 Apr. 2026

Wednesday will see similar temperatures, with a spotty shower possible. —Joseph Dames, CBS News, 28 Apr. 2026

These areas could experience tornadoes, widespread damaging wind gusts, large hail and spotty flash flooding. —Kyle Reiman, ABC News, 27 Apr. 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