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
Miami’s defense has been spotty, so that has been a priority this week.
—
Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 19 Apr. 2024
Even if every grower and grocer started using packaging that could be recycled or composted, America’s infrastructure for turning it into something besides trash is spotty at best.
—Kim Severson, New York Times, 2 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for spotty 
Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 19 Apr. 2024
Even if every grower and grocer started using packaging that could be recycled or composted, America’s infrastructure for turning it into something besides trash is spotty at best.
—Kim Severson, New York Times, 2 Apr. 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 4 May. 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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