spotty

adjective

spot·​ty ˈspä-tē 

spottier; spottiest

1

: marked with spots : spotted

2

: lacking uniformity especially in quality

the performance was spotty

also : irregularly or sparsely distributed

spotty attendance

spotty data

spottily

ˈspä-tə-lē 

adverb

spottiness

ˈspä-tē-nəs 

noun

Synonyms

• aperiodic
• casual
• catchy
• choppy
• discontinuous
• episodic
• episodical
• erratic
• fitful
• intermittent
• irregular
• occasional
• spasmodic
• spastic
• sporadic
• unsteady

Examples of spotty in a Sentence

Her work has been spotty.

The service at that restaurant is a little spotty.

students with spotty attendance records

Recent Examples on the Web

Quadrantids, 1st meteor shower of 2025, expected to peak tonight: How to watch Visibility will be spotty in some parts of the U.S., forecasts show. —Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 5 May 2025

But their draft track record has been spotty in recent years — some very good (Wilkins, Robert Hunt, Andrew Van Ginkel, DeVon Achane, Jevon Holland, etc.) and some not very good (Noah Igbinoghene, Channing Tindall, Liam Eichenberg, Cam Smith, etc). —Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 22 Apr. 2025

Ash The Bottom Line Lots of style and mood help to conceal spotty story. —Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 20 Mar. 2025

My research is admittedly spotty, but the cinema of in-your-face obstetrics has always felt like a primarily European art-film phenomenon. —Justin Chang, New Yorker, 25 Apr. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for spotty

• dotty
• doughty
• draughty
• haughty
• knotty
• naughty
• potty
• scottie
• strati
• zloty
• basmati
• bharati

Kids Definition

spotty

adjective

spot·​ty ˈspät-ē 

spottier; spottiest

1

: having spots

2

: not always the same especially in quality

your work has been spotty

spottily

ˈspät-ᵊl-ē 

adverb

spottiness

ˈspät-ē-nəs 

noun