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

The rules for how to work on dangerous pathogens and which sorts of experiments should be allowed aren’t clear; oversight is spotty. — Daniel Engber, The Atlantic, 7 July 2026

Blood may be bright red or dark and spotty, like coffee grounds. — Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 6 July 2026

Warsh has argued that policymakers have spent too much time trying to predict the future, with a spotty record of doing so. — Jeff Cox, CNBC, 1 July 2026

For years, testing was spotty at best, and doctors often weren’t aware of the syndrome. — Burkhard Bilger, New Yorker, 29 June 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