spotty

adjective

spot·​ty ˈspä-tē How to pronounce spotty (audio)
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 adverb
spottiness noun

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 Bananas: Brown and spotty bananas are welcome here. Pam Lolley, Southern Living, 22 Nov. 2023 Gibson mentioned something else: Paul had tried to send him a video of the dog but couldn't because of spotty cell coverage, Owen said. Tim Stelloh, NBC News, 17 Nov. 2023 Issues cited by staff included low wages, spotty training, and last-minute scheduling. Hattie Lindert, Pitchfork, 4 Nov. 2023 For those hoping for some rain late tomorrow, sorry to disappoint, but any showers are spotty. David Streit, Washington Post, 16 Nov. 2023 Earnings have been spotty, but seem to be in an uptrend. John Dorfman, Forbes, 13 Nov. 2023 Cabot is over an hour from Burlington, in a rural area where cellphone coverage is spotty and many roads are unpaved. Jeanna Smialek Hilary Swift, New York Times, 12 Nov. 2023 However, boreal forests’ northward advance has been spotty and slower than expected. David J. Cooper, The Conversation, 3 Nov. 2023 Fatal bike crashes are an intractable problem in the county, and efforts to build dedicated bike lanes have been spotty. Ben Poston, Los Angeles Times, 29 Oct. 2023 See More

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.

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of spotty was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near spotty

Cite this Entry

“Spotty.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spotty. Accessed 7 Dec. 2023.

Kids Definition

spotty

adjective
spot·​ty ˈspät-ē How to pronounce spotty (audio)
spottier; spottiest
1
: having spots
2
: not always the same especially in quality
your work has been spotty
spottily adverb
spottiness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on spotty

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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