1
as in eclectic
consisting of many things of different sorts
a ship with a motley crew of old salts, young adventurers, and shifty characters of all ages
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in colorful
marked by a variety of usually vivid colors
a tropical bird with motley plumage
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
2
as in assortment
an unorganized collection or mixture of various things
a motley of old junk stored in the attic
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of motley
Damon Wise, Deadline, 5 Sep. 2025
However, if the TikToks on my own For You Page are to be believed, the audience is a motley mix of people, from Gen Alpha to Boomers, who tune in every week to watch protagonist Belly choose between one of two brothers—Conrad (Christopher Briney) or Jeremiah (Gavin Casalegno).
—Sam Reed, Glamour, 20 Aug. 2025
Esha Chhabra, Forbes, 19 Dec. 2022
His tall, broad-shouldered hunchback stomps around the court in the multi-colored motley teasing his master and his henchmen with seeming good-natured gaiety.
—Bill Hirschman, sun-sentinel.com, 14 Mar. 2022
See All Example Sentences for motley
Adjective
Chief among them is Ullman, who, like Murphy, is somehow never fazed by the frenetic ups and downs of life at the school, and then there are the kids themselves, a motley bunch whose neuroses and camaraderie recall the psych ward in Milos Forman’s One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.
—Damon Wise, Deadline, 5 Sep. 2025
However, if the TikToks on my own For You Page are to be believed, the audience is a motley mix of people, from Gen Alpha to Boomers, who tune in every week to watch protagonist Belly choose between one of two brothers—Conrad (Christopher Briney) or Jeremiah (Gavin Casalegno).
—Sam Reed, Glamour, 20 Aug. 2025
Noun
With a total team of 25 today, Schaper is trying to juggle a motley of distribution channels, each with their own unique needs and processes.
—Esha Chhabra, Forbes, 19 Dec. 2022
His tall, broad-shouldered hunchback stomps around the court in the multi-colored motley teasing his master and his henchmen with seeming good-natured gaiety.
—Bill Hirschman, sun-sentinel.com, 14 Mar. 2022
See All Example Sentences for motley
Recent Examples of Synonyms for motley
Adjective
-
Bordering the university, Westcott is the city’s bohemian enclave and is known for its eclectic food scene and artsy character.—
Lauren Dana Ellman,
Travel + Leisure,
19 Oct. 2025
-
Stiller & Meara took them to stages around the country, including over 30 appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show, and introduced an eclectic cast of characters into the lives of their children, Ben and his sister Amy Stiller, such as folks like Severance star Walken.—
Mekishana Pierre,
Entertainment Weekly,
17 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Whether styled with a matching top for a monochromatic moment, like Middleton and Witherspoon, or paired with a T-shirt, like Clarkson, colorful pants are an easy way to make dressing for the office, a date night, or the holidays feel all the more fashionable.—
Averi Baudler,
PEOPLE,
21 Oct. 2025
-
Grand Slam winners get a colorful Grand Slam Award sticker.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
21 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
That’s been fool’s gold many times before.—
Scott Fowler,
Charlotte Observer,
23 Oct. 2025
-
These features glitter like fool’s gold.—
Nadav Ziv,
Time,
23 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The flowers look similar to wildflowers or cosmos, and come in a colorful assortment of autumnal shades like deep red, burnt orange, and light orange.—
Alicia Geigel,
Southern Living,
18 Oct. 2025
-
Customers will find an assortment of authentic French pastries, sandwiches, coffee and more.—
Tanasia Kenney,
Charlotte Observer,
17 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
The clip was shared from Fritzi (@fritzicaramelle), a TikTok account charting the dog’s varied adventures with her owners.—
Soo Kim,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Oct. 2025
-
The reactions were very, very varied.—
Damon Wise,
Deadline,
16 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Hamas says at least 27 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces over the last week; Israeli officials said troops fired to prevent incursions across the yellow line, which is now being marked with colored stanchions as a clearer warning.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
19 Oct. 2025
-
Demi Moore’s hip length-plus, raven-colored hair is a signature.—
Anna Cafolla,
Vogue,
19 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Former Des Plaines officer Mike Albrecht recalled to NBC Chicago that when police were assigned to surveil Gacy after Piest's disappearance, the part-time clown would try to pal around with officers and invite them into his house.—
Jessica Sager,
PEOPLE,
18 Oct. 2025
-
The girls are just as down to clown, coming up with funny drunk poses and faces.—
Alphonse Pierre,
Pitchfork,
17 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Ray’s most chaotic photograms—jumbles that push out of the frame or look like time bombs ready to explode—find echoes in his films, projected on the back walls, a show in themselves.—
Vince Aletti,
New Yorker,
3 Oct. 2025
-
In jumbles of old stones that, to me, are barely legible as the remains of buildings, Cocon López could see the entire timeline of old Aké and how later people interacted with and repurposed what came before.—
Lizzie Wade,
Smithsonian Magazine,
23 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Motley.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/motley. Accessed 24 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share