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
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
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.
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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
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