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
Here's what is wrong One of the first things to look at when not all seems right in your turfgrass is whether the symptoms are spread more or less evenly around the yard or show up more spotty.
—
Paul Cappiello, The Courier-Journal, 9 Aug. 2024
While available data are spotty, approval reached 67% (among registered voters) for the selection of Jack Kemp (who ran with Bob Dole) in 1996 and was an initial 60% for John McCain's choice of Sarah Palin in 2008, although she later widely was seen as a liability for his campaign.
—Christine Filer, ABC News, 16 Aug. 2024
Pass blocking of mostly reserve linemen was spotty.
—Jerry McDonald, The Mercury News, 12 Aug. 2024
But its coverage is spotty, according to policing officials and experts: Not every US police agency submits data to the registry or checks it before making hiring decisions.
—Ray Sanchez, CNN, 3 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for spotty 
Paul Cappiello, The Courier-Journal, 9 Aug. 2024
While available data are spotty, approval reached 67% (among registered voters) for the selection of Jack Kemp (who ran with Bob Dole) in 1996 and was an initial 60% for John McCain's choice of Sarah Palin in 2008, although she later widely was seen as a liability for his campaign.
—Christine Filer, ABC News, 16 Aug. 2024
Pass blocking of mostly reserve linemen was spotty.
—Jerry McDonald, The Mercury News, 12 Aug. 2024
But its coverage is spotty, according to policing officials and experts: Not every US police agency submits data to the registry or checks it before making hiring decisions.
—Ray Sanchez, CNN, 3 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for spotty
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 9 Sep. 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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