as in dotted
marked with spots
a speckled dog
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in sprinkled
to mark with small spots especially unevenly
speckled the cookies with colored sugar
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of speckled
Ian Servantes, Footwear News, 19 Feb. 2026
Variegation takes on many forms, from speckled or spotted foliage to dramatic striping.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 8 Feb. 2026
Even the linen neps, which give it a stylish, speckled appearance, are random, so no two pieces are identical.
—Katie Jackson, Travel + Leisure, 30 Dec. 2025
Two pumps on the back of my hand did the trick, stippling it across my red-speckled cheeks and around my nose.
—Conçetta Ciarlo, Vogue, 21 Dec. 2025
Tiny galaxy frogs These otherworldly creatures are known for their cosmic star-speckled appearance.
—Alexandra Banner, CNN Money, 18 Dec. 2025
Cyclamens have attractive speckled foliage, and the flowers come in a range of colors.
—Chris McKeown, Cincinnati Enquirer, 29 Nov. 2025
The design of the Grosche Milano Stone stovetop espresso maker, a speckled stone that looks like the bottom of a creek, gives your stovetop coffee maker a contemporary look that’s suited for a modern kitchen.
—Yelena Moroz Alpert, Architectural Digest, 10 Oct. 2025
This golden bouquet, which comes in a speckled brown ceramic pot, adds moody vibes and a pop of fall-friendly color, to the countertops, table, or coffee table.
—Stephanie Osmanski, Better Homes & Gardens, 9 Sep. 2025
Heather Riske, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 Mar. 2026
My sister’s eyes were bloodshot, and her skin was speckled with tiny, red dots.
—Des Moines Register, 2 Mar. 2026
The resulting cookies are speckled like bird food (in a good way) and as fueling as a protein bar (without any of the weird ingredients).
—Jesse Szewczyk, Bon Appetit Magazine, 22 Feb. 2026
In the stock image of a royal robe lined with white fur speckled in black, each speckle represents the tail of one dead stoat.
—Harmeet Kaur, CNN Money, 11 Feb. 2026
This Scottish name means speckled or freckled and has become way more commonly used than its original spelling—Brice—over the decades.
—Anna Earl, Parents, 8 Feb. 2026
Last weekend, more than 400 shacks speckled the frozen bay, Bloedorn recalled, as ice anglers flocked to the Upper Peninsula to take advantage of perfect ice conditions.
—Chicago Tribune, 26 Jan. 2026
This cheese is described as a classic, handmade Wisconsin Original Colby that’s speckled with caraway seeds.
—Michele Herrmann, Forbes.com, 21 Jan. 2026
As for her nails, white ovals speckled in purple polka dots completed her Dior moment.
—Essence, 21 Jan. 2026
Adjective
Rounding out the trio is the 008 recovery slide with its uniformly blue upper and a speckled gum outsole.
—Ian Servantes, Footwear News, 19 Feb. 2026
Variegation takes on many forms, from speckled or spotted foliage to dramatic striping.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 8 Feb. 2026
Even the linen neps, which give it a stylish, speckled appearance, are random, so no two pieces are identical.
—Katie Jackson, Travel + Leisure, 30 Dec. 2025
Two pumps on the back of my hand did the trick, stippling it across my red-speckled cheeks and around my nose.
—Conçetta Ciarlo, Vogue, 21 Dec. 2025
Tiny galaxy frogs These otherworldly creatures are known for their cosmic star-speckled appearance.
—Alexandra Banner, CNN Money, 18 Dec. 2025
Cyclamens have attractive speckled foliage, and the flowers come in a range of colors.
—Chris McKeown, Cincinnati Enquirer, 29 Nov. 2025
The design of the Grosche Milano Stone stovetop espresso maker, a speckled stone that looks like the bottom of a creek, gives your stovetop coffee maker a contemporary look that’s suited for a modern kitchen.
—Yelena Moroz Alpert, Architectural Digest, 10 Oct. 2025
This golden bouquet, which comes in a speckled brown ceramic pot, adds moody vibes and a pop of fall-friendly color, to the countertops, table, or coffee table.
—Stephanie Osmanski, Better Homes & Gardens, 9 Sep. 2025
Verb
That’s because very ripe bananas—which are speckled with brown spots or even completely brown—are naturally sweeter than their green or yellow counterparts.
—Heather Riske, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 Mar. 2026
My sister’s eyes were bloodshot, and her skin was speckled with tiny, red dots.
—Des Moines Register, 2 Mar. 2026
The resulting cookies are speckled like bird food (in a good way) and as fueling as a protein bar (without any of the weird ingredients).
—Jesse Szewczyk, Bon Appetit Magazine, 22 Feb. 2026
In the stock image of a royal robe lined with white fur speckled in black, each speckle represents the tail of one dead stoat.
—Harmeet Kaur, CNN Money, 11 Feb. 2026
This Scottish name means speckled or freckled and has become way more commonly used than its original spelling—Brice—over the decades.
—Anna Earl, Parents, 8 Feb. 2026
Last weekend, more than 400 shacks speckled the frozen bay, Bloedorn recalled, as ice anglers flocked to the Upper Peninsula to take advantage of perfect ice conditions.
—Chicago Tribune, 26 Jan. 2026
This cheese is described as a classic, handmade Wisconsin Original Colby that’s speckled with caraway seeds.
—Michele Herrmann, Forbes.com, 21 Jan. 2026
As for her nails, white ovals speckled in purple polka dots completed her Dior moment.
—Essence, 21 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for speckled
Adjective
-
Moss wore a black, semi-sheer polka-dot blouse featuring delicate, dotted-mesh fabric that revealed a glimpse of skin underneath.—
Lauryn Overhultz,
FOXNews.com,
7 Mar. 2026
-
The top surface is glass and features a dotted, dark ceramic coating burned into the top of the glass that only one factory in the world can make, according to Thornton.—
PJ Green
March 3,
Kansas City Star,
3 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
From March to May, the hiking trails are sprinkled with vibrant yellow desert marigolds, deep purple lupines, and bright red and orange Indian paintbrush blooms, among other varieties.—
Annie Daly,
Vogue,
10 Mar. 2026
-
Smoked Arctic char from neighboring Labrador came next, layered on thick slices of brown bread and sprinkled with citrusy larch shoots.—
Gina DeCaprio Vercesi,
Travel + Leisure,
10 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
People gathered at Navy Pier on Saturday to celebrate the Hindu spring tradition of Holi, also known as the festival of colors, with music, dance, and by throwing and decorating each other with colored powder.—
Chris Sweda,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Mar. 2026
-
Sorting blocks into different colored buckets.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
9 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Locked in a safe on her desk at Boston University’s Institute for Astrophysical Research is a shard of meteorite flecked with material older than the sun.—
James Dinneen,
Quanta Magazine,
2 Mar. 2026
-
Her sky-blue eyes, flecked with silver and hazel, narrow slightly, then relax.—
Gerald Witt,
AJC.com,
1 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Worn Clothing Do not fill your dresser drawers with garments that have seen better days to the point that they're torn or stained.—
Sarah Lyon,
Southern Living,
6 Mar. 2026
-
Set in a landscape stained by red clay and bad blood, villainy is commonplace.—
Peter White,
Deadline,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
But Tariq’s body was already cold, and his skin was mottled.—
Ben Taub,
New Yorker,
26 Jan. 2026
-
Shiny and dark evergreen foliage is held aloft on strong, arching stems mottled with purple flecks.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
21 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
Brasser, who was a passenger in a vehicle nearby driven by another suspect, spotted Starzynski walking back to his vehicle and placing a blue bank bag in his trunk.—
Richard Ramos,
CBS News,
6 Mar. 2026
-
At a Sheetz gas station equipped with high-resolution cameras, authorities spotted a car matching Shelia Eddy’s vehicle passing through around midnight—traveling in the direction of Blacksville.—
Isabella Wandermurem,
Time,
6 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Speckled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/speckled. Accessed 13 Mar. 2026.
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