Synonyms of motley

motley 1 of 2

adjective

ˈmät-lē 

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

• eclectic
• varied
• assorted
• mixed
• diverse
• miscellaneous
• heterogeneous
• messy
• chaotic
• patchwork
• promiscuous
• indiscriminate
• kitchen-sink
• raggle-taggle
• ragtag
• various
• multifarious
• magpie
• littered
• disparate
• sundry
• divergent
• combined
• jumbled
• piebald
• manifold
• disheveled
• cluttered
• multiplex
• muddled
• composite
• blended
• disordered
• multiple
• mingled
• myriad
• confused
• disarranged
• amalgamated
• intermingled
• hybrid
• commingled
• conglomerate
• incorporated
• intermixed
• fused
• disarrayed
• merged
• unsorted
• unclassified
• messed
• commixed
• farraginous
• conglomerated

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• homogeneous
• uniform
• same
• identical
• like
• individual
• monolithic
• distinctive
• distinct
• separate
• alike

2

as in colorful

marked by a variety of usually vivid colors

a tropical bird with motley plumage

Synonyms & Similar Words

• colorful
• colored
• varied
• various
• rainbow
• varicolored
• vibrant
• striped
• variegated
• kaleidoscopic
• multicolored
• brilliant
• multihued
• prismatic
• polychromatic
• chromatic
• bright
• polychrome
• dotted
• brave
• gaudy
• iridescent
• garish
• showy
• spotted
• plaid
• loud
• checkered
• opalescent
• speckled
• patterned
• flashy
• flecked
• mottled
• dappled
• plaided
• marbled
• pied
• splashy
• specked
• striated
• banded
• gay
• streaked
• barred
• tricolor
• brindled
• pinto
• piebald
• trichromatic
• dichromatic
• parti-color
• bicolored
• two-toned
• two-tone
• bichrome

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• colorless
• achromatic
• solid
• faded
• gray
• monochromatic
• pale
• bleached
• pallid
• neutral
• dull
• faint
• monotone
• washed-out
• monochromic
• self-colored
• decolorized
• unbrilliant

motley

2 of 2

noun

1

as in fool

a person formerly kept in a royal or noble household to amuse with jests and pranks

the motleys with their colorful outfits

Synonyms & Similar Words

• fool
• clown
• harlequin
• jester
• joker
• madcap
• comedian
• droll
• zany
• buffoon
• comic
• wag
• jokester
• cutup
• comedienne
• vice
• mime
• merry-andrew
• mummer

2

as in assortment

an unorganized collection or mixture of various things

a motley of old junk stored in the attic

Synonyms & Similar Words

• assortment
• jumble
• medley
• variety
• collage
• mélange
• hodgepodge
• ragbag
• menagerie
• hotchpotch
• mishmash
• amalgam
• smorgasbord
• patchwork
• blend
• litter
• gallimaufry
• miscellany
• potpourri
• miscellanea
• jungle
• pastiche
• farrago
• agglomeration
• salad
• shuffle
• montage
• salmagundi
• clutter
• scramble
• stew
• agglomerate
• hash
• olio
• gumbo
• tangle
• ragout
• rummage
• jambalaya
• welter
• mixed bag
• combination
• botch
• grab bag
• accumulation
• alphabet soup
• omnium-gatherum
• crazy quilt
• conglomeration
• muddle
• tumble
• patchwork quilt
• conglomerate
• aggregation
• macédoine
• olla podrida
• detritus
• aggregate
• notions
• sundries
• composite
• mess
• fusion
• oddments
• compound
• chaos
• intermixture
• commixture
• disarray
• odds and ends
• alloy
• catchall
• admixture
• disarrangement
• mix-up
• disorder
• snarl
• imbroglio
• morass
• confusion
• shambles
• bollix
• dog's breakfast
• knot

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of motley

Adjective

The subtitle for the game is Beyond Dreams and deals with a protagonist (shown above) who is plagued by strange visions in his sleep, with what looks like a motley bunch of companions. — Ollie Barder, Forbes.com, 27 May 2026

The Paper centered on Michael Keaton — in his third film with Howard — as Henry Hackett, metro editor of the New York Sun, who navigates a motley roster of colleagues, including his nemesis in managing editor Alicia Clark (Glenn Close), over a 24-hour period to get that day’s edition to newsstands. — Ryan Gajewski, HollywoodReporter, 10 May 2026

Noun

Her goal is to start a women’s consciousness-raising group, and her efforts have brought together a motley, inquisitive quintet. — Sara Holdren, Vulture, 20 Feb. 2025

Kaan kaan wu, with its motley of melds, is where these two tiles from different suits can be used in a clean-sweeping hand. — Rudy Lee, New York Times, 17 Oct. 2023

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