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

There are multiple gift shops scattered throughout the museum, as each special exhibition tends to have a dedicated one with products curated around its artist or theme. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 Aug. 2026

The shift from removals scattered on many smaller lots to mass clearings on a handful of properties is backed up by permitting data, the assessment notes. — Drew Kann, AJC.com, 10 Aug. 2026

Here are two habits that get read as scattered and tend to travel with strong cognitive ability. — Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026

Storm coverage will increase, with scattered to numerous showers and thunderstorms expected. — Callie Zanandrie, CBS News, 8 Aug. 2026

There are pieces of the past scattered across all 14 songs on Blue Island. — Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 7 Aug. 2026

Handgun found at school A photo provided to CNN by a police official in Bangkok shows a single handgun and multiple rounds of ammunition scattered on the floor inside the school. — Helen Regan, CNN Money, 7 Aug. 2026

Monday will be mainly dry before scattered to numerous showers and lightning storms develop in the afternoon. — Garfield Hylton, The Orlando Sentinel, 3 Aug. 2026

The 15 new schools are scattered across the city, including in the neighborhoods of Humboldt Park, Archer Heights, Gage Park, Roseland, and more. — Kate Perez, Chicago Tribune, 3 Aug. 2026