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 warm-up continues Friday as high temperatures rise into the mid-80s with the potential for a spotty shower. —Lissette Gonzalez, CBS News, 25 Feb. 2026

Lake Michigan takes a bit longer to freeze and, in some years, has somewhat spotty ice. —Robert Annis, Outside, 24 Feb. 2026

The trial began last week and has featured emotional testimony from students and teachers who survived the shooting, police interviews with Colin Gray, Colt Gray’s spotty school attendance records and photos showing unsecured firearms and ammo in Colin Gray’s home. —Eric Levenson, CNN Money, 23 Feb. 2026

Another source of eye rolls among attendees was a lack of Wi-Fi and spotty phone service. —Beatrice Nolan, Fortune, 23 Feb. 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