spotty

[ spot-ee ]

adjective

, spot·ti·er, spot·ti·est.

1. full of, having, or occurring in spots:

   spotty coloring.

2. irregular or uneven in quality or character:

   a spotty performance.

   Synonyms: episodic, sporadic, random, erratic

spotty

/ ˈspɒtɪ /

adjective

1. abounding in or characterized by spots or marks, esp on the skin

   a spotty face

2. not consistent or uniform; irregular or uneven, often in quality

Derived Forms

• ˈspottiness, noun
• ˈspottily, adverb

Other Words From

• spotti·ly adverb
• spotti·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of spotty¹

Middle English word dating back to 1300–50; spot, -y ¹

Example Sentences

The Cardinals’ only kick of the night easily overpowered the Chargers’ spotty offense that only mustered five kicks from Cameron Dicker.

From Los Angeles Times

They watched Walker Buehler tiptoe in and out of danger over four scoreless innings, the right-hander managing to get enough swing-and-miss to compensate for his spotty command.

From Los Angeles Times

Cellphone and internet service has been spotty, so they missed a lot of the misinformation.

From Los Angeles Times

The Padres were on the attack, but that was no excuse for the Dodgers to retreat behind spotty pitching from Jack Flaherty and impatient hitting against aging Padres starter Yu Darvish.

From Los Angeles Times

She cited spotty cellphone coverage, inconsistent internet service, interruptions to telephone landlines, and long wait times for law enforcement response as a “clear recipe for failure.”

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• erratic
• patchy
• sporadic
• uneven