scattered

[ skat-erd ]

adjective

1. distributed or occurring at widely spaced and usually irregular intervals:

   scattered villages; scattered showers.

2. dispersed; disorganized:

   scattered forces.

3. distracted or disorganized:

   scattered thoughts.

4. Meteorology. (of clouds) covering up to one-half of the sky. Compare broken ( def 5 ).

Other Words From

• scattered·ly adverb
• scattered·ness noun
• un·scattered adjective
• well-scattered adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of scattered¹

scatter + -ed ²

Example Sentences

Piles of twigs, pine needles and larger logs are scattered through the forest.

From Los Angeles Times

Its leaders are now scattered across Egypt, Qatar and Turkey, and disconnected from those managing the hostages held in Gaza.

From BBC

The punk band’s photos and album covers are scattered on the walls in addition to the signatures of performers.

From Los Angeles Times

Both sisters were killed in the collision, which sent one of them flying out of the car and scattered toys and clothes across the intersection.

From Los Angeles Times

The most hard-hit regions include populous central China, Japan, Korea, the Arabian peninsula, eastern Australia and scattered parts of Africa.

From Science Daily

Related Words

• intermittent
• isolated
• occasional
• sporadic