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

On Friday, spotty showers will be possible and high temperatures will climb to the low 80s. —Lissette Gonzalez, CBS News, 22 Jan. 2026

Wilson’s frustrations are compounded by Advent’s spotty record in the consumer space, the people say ; another Advent name, the haircare brand Olaplex, has seen its stock collapse since its 2022 IPO. —Rohan Goswami, semafor.com, 20 Jan. 2026

Cristobal had a spotty record with some curious coaching decisions in losses prior to this season. —Erick Smith, USA Today, 19 Jan. 2026

Tucker is no longer around, and one has to wonder what Crow-Armstrong can be over the long haul after a spotty second half. —Patrick Mooney, New York Times, 13 Jan. 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