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

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

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

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
Adjective
Rebecca and Keeley Jones (Juno Temple) have enticed Ted back to England from Kansas to coach their new women’s team, a motley group of players desperately in need of Ted’s guidance. — Emily Zemler, Los Angeles Times, 12 Aug. 2026 Things are getting serious for our motley investigative crew. — Erin Qualey, Vulture, 8 July 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
  • His eclectic back catalog is more like a pick’n’mix of Swedish candy, filled with syrupy electro-pop and wonky and soulful house.
    — Harry Thorfinn-George, Pitchfork, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Food and drink Café Libre, next to the eclectic and cozy lobby, is a space designed to make guests and visitors feel right at home.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of eclectic
Adjective
  • The results are most effective when the lyrics are tight and embody the colorful feelings that Greene’s music often evokes.
    — Kiana Mickles, Pitchfork, 23 Oct. 2026
  • At Casa Brera, her colorful and sophisticated design appears more timeless than ever, establishing a strong link with the Milanese soul of the place as well as creating a seamless connection between the interior and exterior of the hotel.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of colorful
Noun
  • But Thomas and Erika are no fools, coolly telling off smiling Hitler sympathizers during a tony reception.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2026
  • The Atlanta Dream might now be the hottest ticket in town and State Farm Arena would be fools not to host them in Game 6.
    — Don Riddell, CNN Money, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of fool
Noun
  • Developed with creative chairman Reed Krakoff and design teams in New York and Bali, the assortment splices the siblings’ contrasting aesthetics with John Hardy’s longstanding tradition of handcraft.
    — Thomas Waller, Footwear News, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Now, a deeper look suggests a much broader assortment of material from the outside world — silica, metals, soot and other debris — is getting through.
    — Ariana Eunjung Cha, Washington Post, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of assortment
Adjective
  • Even after the engines are removed, firms are looking for parts as varied as landing gear and antennae to sell.
    — Leslie Josephs, CNBC, 24 Oct. 2026
  • In the ads analyzed by Noticias Telemundo, the form and content indicating it was done with AI varied; there were differences ranging from the text size to the wording.
    — Anagilmara Vílchez, NBC news, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of varied
Adjective
  • To begin her drawings, Trouvé pours bleach onto blank sheets of industrial colored paper.
    — Devorah Lauter, ARTnews.com, 27 Oct. 2026
  • Lifelike Cat With a face full of fur and electric-green-colored contacts, this cat costume begs to be seen.
    — Michella Oré, Glamour, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of colored
Noun
  • That’s not to jinx the master clown who’s currently doddering around in Argan’s shoes on Broadway.
    — Sara Holdren, Vulture, 23 Oct. 2026
  • In several descriptions of these amateur events, including some of his own, Hemingway sounds less like a matador than a rodeo clown.
    — Stephen Bates, New Yorker, 22 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
See all Nearby Words

Podcast

Cite this Entry

“Motley.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/motley. Accessed 29 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of shindig

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
different halloween monsters in silhouette
A Monstrous Vocab Quiz Words That Go Bump in the Night
See All