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

That rainfall was predicted to arrive in the form of light, scattered showers. — Austin Turner, CBS News, 11 Oct. 2026

Security is thin and scattered downtown, and that morning was no different. — Dp Opinion, Denver Post, 15 Sep. 2026

The scattered pieces of the former storm will likely drift over the Caribbean and soak Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and Hispaniola with a few inches of rain, some of which will reach Florida. — Alex Harris, Miami Herald, 31 Aug. 2026

The right words can turn scattered details into a workable plan. — Tarot.com, The Orlando Sentinel, 27 Aug. 2026

While scattered thunderstorms may provide temporary improvement in localized areas, smoke conditions are expected to remain variable over Lake Huron as winds shift. — Natalie Davies, Freep.com, 17 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

Verb

The Israelis bombed the cemetery where her friends were buried, leaving body parts and bones scattered for relatives to collect like a puzzle. — Literary Hub, 23 Oct. 2026

The feeling of a fading-but-potent New York is scattered across a compilation of Hall’s music drawn from more than 40 years of work, My Skyscraper, released under the name Nirosta Steel just a few months ago. — Jack Denton, Vulture, 22 Oct. 2026

Each is as tall as the Statue of Liberty, scattered across a patch of desert roughly the size of Chicago. — Sara Herschander, Vox, 22 Oct. 2026

The Broncos have raced to a 2-0 start in conference play and are considered favorites to win the rejuvenated conference in its first full season since 2023, after which most Pac-12 teams scattered to other leagues. — Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 22 Oct. 2026

As the balloon and its occupants fell to the ground, the nylon envelope and the gondola separated, and the wreckage scattered over a roughly 100-yard area, parts of it blackened by the explosion and resulting fire. — Théoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 21 Oct. 2026

Photo by Kanaiyah Ward's family The lawsuit Kanaiyah Ward died alone in a room on the 11th floor of the Marriott Residence Inn off North Wolfe Street, with pink Benadryl pills scattered by her side along with a suicide note. — Mike Hellgren, CBS News, 21 Oct. 2026

There are a few smaller cities and towns—like Bisbee, Douglas, Portal, and Bowie—scattered within 100 miles of the park, but expect the drive from your accommodations to the park to be on the longer side. — Jamie Spain, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 Oct. 2026

This included the intersection of Stockton Boulevard and Fruitridge Road, where roughly 50 people were scattered holding signs. — Graham Womack, Sacbee.com, 17 Oct. 2026