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

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

Friday, a weakening ridge and an approaching front will allow scattered showers and thunderstorms to develop. — Lauren Bostwick, CBS News, 9 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

Below against Saudi Arabia, Uruguay’s players are scattered around the far side of the box while their opponents set up in a zonal scheme protecting the six-yard box. — Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 14 July 2026

Multistate, multiprogram fraud schemes used to be nearly impossible to prosecute efficiently because the evidence was scattered across jurisdictions. — Mehmet Oz, Boston Herald, 13 July 2026

The other ghost stations scattered around the UK do at least seem to be located near where people live. — Rob Crossan, Condé Nast Traveler, 13 July 2026

These venues aren’t necessarily in the Theater District, and many are scattered across Manhattan neighborhoods like the East Village and Chelsea. — Lauren Schuster, Kansas City Star, 13 July 2026

Today, homeowners who want to evaluate an assessment must gather and reconcile information scattered across numerous public records, often requiring knowledge, time and resources many do not have. — Chicago Tribune, 13 July 2026

They are scattered around Colorado, Utah and New Mexico while there are wildfires in eight other states — from Alaska to Arizona. — ABC News, 13 July 2026

The nonprofit organization consists of about 200 volunteers, and there are chapters of Vikings scattered throughout the West Coast that easily put members in the thousands. — Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 12 July 2026

Whether they're tucked into a Greek salad, layered onto sandwiches, arranged on charcuterie boards, scattered over pizza or mixed into summer pasta salad, olives are a staple in countless cuisines. — Daryl Austin, USA Today, 11 July 2026