motley 1 of 2

adjective

ˈmät-lē How to pronounce motley (audio)
Definition of motleynext
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

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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

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
2
as in assortment
an unorganized collection or mixture of various things a motley of old junk stored in the attic

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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
Adjective
Things are getting serious for our motley investigative crew. — Erin Qualey, Vulture, 8 July 2026 Hunt teams up with a motley group of mercenaries to traverse the cosmos while hoping to revitalize the Commonwealth and restore peace. — Jeff Spry, Space.com, 17 June 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 See All Example Sentences for motley
Recent Examples of Synonyms for motley
  1. eclectic
  2. colorful
  3. fool
  4. assortment
  5. varied
  6. colored
  7. clown
  8. jumble
Adjective
  • The next season of the interview series brings together an eclectic lineup, including A-list Hollywood director Judd Apatow, Monty Python legend Eric Idle, and heavyweight boxer Tyson Fury.
    — Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 7 Oct. 2026
  • The look is eclectic colonial with timber ceilings, mahogany antiques, chintz armchairs, and clawfoot baths.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of eclectic
Adjective
  • For a kid who loved drawing, the box, with its many drawers, was a portal to a sparkling, colorful world.
    — Samantha Conti, Footwear News, 9 Oct. 2026
  • At a press conference yesterday NASA presented its preliminary findings, which touch on everything from the moon’s surprisingly colorful craters to a series of curious flashes that the astronauts spied in lunar shadows.
    — Robin George Andrews, Scientific American, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of colorful
Noun
  • Don’t let the building’s modern facade fool you, the rooms are minimalist yet warm with wood flooring, floral wallpaper, and hand-knotted rugs.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 Oct. 2026
  • In these labors, Carson is akin to two other recent laureates, Jon Fosse and László Krasznahorkai, our foremost writers of holy fools.
    — Merve Emre, New Yorker, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of fool
Noun
  • Our success so far has been 100 percent chalked up to using the constraint of our assortment as our superpower.
    — Jenny B. Fine, Footwear News, 9 Oct. 2026
  • At Liberty London, buyers order a significant portion of the range through pre-collections, which gives their assortment a strong commercial foundation.
    — Joe Bobowicz, Vogue, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of assortment
Adjective
  • It’s been a dynamic year with a varied complexion of transactions, from mega-mergers to portfolio pruning through corporate divestitures.
    — Kathryn Hopkins, Footwear News, 9 Oct. 2026
  • That role now means navigating industry contraction and uncertainty and ensuring Hollywood producers keep coming to Ontario for tax credits, local talent and varied locations.
    — Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of varied
Adjective
  • Hazel is actually an unusual, multi-colored eye type that features a mix of brown, green, and gold or amber hues.
    — Lars Brandle, Billboard, 7 Oct. 2026
  • In a city better known for restrained modernism, La Tulipe is a playful bouquet of concrete and colored glass.
    — Kieron Marchese, Architectural Digest, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of colored
Noun
  • Jean pays tribute to the oversized trousers worn by rodeo clowns.
    — Angela Velasquez, Footwear News, 8 Oct. 2026
  • The gasoline shortage has become such a feature of daily life that even clowns at Moscow’s circus have cracked jokes about it.
    — Ivan Nechepurenko, New York Times, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of clown
Noun
  • Arches and natural bridges sweep like buttresses from jumbles of rock, giving this landscape a mystical, cathedral-like quality.
    — Madison Chapman, Outside, 25 Mar. 2026
  • Macaroons are chewy jumbles of coconut bound together with egg whites and sweetened condensed milk.
    — Lynda Balslev, Mercury News, 10 Feb. 2026
Definition of jumble

Browse Nearby Words

motivity
motley
motleys
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Cite this Entry

“Motley.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/motley. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

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