Synonyms of scattered

scattered 1 of 2

adjective

as in random

lacking a definite plan, purpose, or pattern

a hodgepodge of scattered ideas that didn't add up to a clear hypothesis

Synonyms & Similar Words

• random
• arbitrary
• stray
• erratic
• sporadic
• haphazard
• lucky
• aimless
• accidental
• contingent
• casual
• desultory
• odd
• hit-or-miss
• irregular
• chance
• slapdash
• helter-skelter
• catch-as-catch-can
• incidental
• disorganized
• spot
• inadvertent
• unconsidered
• scattershot
• shotgun
• unsystematic
• directionless
• unplanned
• unintended
• indiscriminate
• unintentional
• fortuitous
• unpremeditated
• purposeless
• undirected
• disorderly
• undiscriminating
• fluky
• chancy
• objectless
• unselective

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• systematic
• organized
• regular
• orderly
• fixed
• stable
• constant
• continuous
• regular
• steady
• arranged
• established
• even
• methodical
• systematized
• set
• nonrandom
• aware
• managed
• planned
• conscious
• ordered
• deliberate
• thoughtful
• purposeful
• orchestrated
• willful

scattered

2 of 2

verb

past tense of scatter

1

as in dispersed

to cause (members of a group) to move widely apart

the noise of the backfiring car scattered the pigeons

Synonyms & Similar Words

• dispersed
• dissipated
• isolated
• disbanded
• dispelled
• squandered
• segregated
• separated
• diffused
• cleared out
• disseminated
• split (up)
• parted
• spread
• broke up
• diverged

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• collected
• gathered
• concentrated
• assembled
• clustered
• congregated
• ingathered
• united
• unified
• agglutinated
• conglomerated

2

as in sprayed

to cover by or as if by scattering something over or on

the hillside was scattered with boulders deposited by the last ice age

Synonyms & Similar Words

• sprayed
• sprinkled
• dotted
• peppered
• strewed
• spotted
• bestrewed
• dusted
• sowed
• speckled
• drizzled
• flecked
• studded
• blanketed
• dappled
• spattered
• stippled
• bespattered

3

as in dissipated

to go off in different directions and cease to exist as a body or unified whole

these drunken revelers will quickly scatter when the police arrive

Synonyms & Similar Words

• dispersed
• dissipated
• disappeared
• faded
• dissolved
• disassembled
• divided
• evaporated
• separated
• spilled
• melted
• disbanded
• diverged
• forked
• fled
• went (away)
• branched (out)
• cleared
• broke up
• evanesced

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• gathered
• met
• congregated

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of scattered

Adjective

During a walk through the park, CBS News Philadelphia also found scattered screws, metal fragments and broken glass in parts of the lawn. — Eva Andersen, CBS News, 30 July 2026

The right conversation could turn scattered effort into a working plan. — Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 5 July 2026

If your data is messy, scattered or stale, the AI output fails. — Sagi Eliyahu, Forbes.com, 26 June 2026

At Mariposa Market in Willits, grocery items, wine bottles and other merchandise tumbled from shelves, leaving aisles littered with broken glass and scattered products. — Sofia Williams, Sacbee.com, 24 June 2026

Share a draft, then ask a focused question so collaborators offer helpful edits rather than scattered opinions. — Tarot.com, The Orlando Sentinel, 27 May 2026

March 21 – April 19 One direct message could turn scattered effort into actual teamwork. — Tarot.com, Sun Sentinel, 26 May 2026

Midwest The Midwest will see some scattered rain on Friday. — Kyle David, ABC News, 20 May 2026

The conjecture says that even within enormous, scattered and chaotic assemblages of points existing across innumerable dimensions, simple, orderly shapes will inevitably crop up. — Joseph Howlett, Scientific American, 19 May 2026

Verb

Works by major international artists (Tschabalala Self, Francesco Clemente, Chantal Joffe) sit alongside Greek artists (Vasilis Papageorgiou, Kostas Paniaras, Sofia Mitsola) and commissions created on site, scattered through the hotel and grounds. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Aug. 2026

The problem is that they’re mostly scattered across a continent. — John Koetsier, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2026

The boos were more scattered and barely audible amidst the applause and cheers, which grew louder when the ballpark’s video boards showed the 2018 champ smiling, clapping, and waving from the visitors’ dugout. — Gabrielle Starr, Boston Herald, 21 Aug. 2026

While its extensive costume collection and some other materials went to the University of Miami and Actors’ Playhouse at the Miracle Theatre in Coral Gables, programs, posters, promotional photos and materials had scattered to the winds. — Andres Viglucci, Miami Herald, 21 Aug. 2026

Alexander Bazilevsky, a BNL physicist, and electromagnetic calorimetry manager for the ePIC detector, stated that the calorimeter will primarily measure electrons scattered by the beam. — Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 21 Aug. 2026

Andy Burnham got the famous Manchester worker bee logo inked on his arm while mayor of the city and this shirt has that very same motif scattered all over it. — Nick Miller, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2026

In a community scattered across more than 100 hamlets, the station connects people and fosters dialogue. — Adrien Marotte, Christian Science Monitor, 20 Aug. 2026

Theo Von is tearing through a bag of ballpark peanuts with shells scattered across the lap of his khaki cargo pants. — Chris Gardner, HollywoodReporter, 17 Aug. 2026