scattered
Americanadjective
-
distributed or occurring at widely spaced and usually irregular intervals.
scattered villages; scattered showers.
-
dispersed; disorganized.
scattered forces.
-
distracted or disorganized.
scattered thoughts.
-
Meteorology. (of clouds) covering up to one-half of the sky.
Other Word Forms
- scatteredly adverb
- scatteredness noun
- unscattered adjective
- well-scattered adjective
Etymology
Origin of scattered
Explanation
When things are scattered, they’re spread out all over the place. If the forecast calls for scattered showers, it’ll rain here and there. Items lying at random intervals and at some distance from each other can be described as scattered. Your birthday cake might be scattered with sprinkles, and the floor of your little sister's room might be scattered with Lego blocks. Another meaning of scattered is "messy" or "disordered" — you can describe yourself as scattered if you're feeling disorganized and confused. The word scatter is probably related to shatter, "break into pieces," from a Middle English root.
Vocabulary lists containing scattered
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Its expertise has been scattered, its contracts terminated, and the trust built with countries, local organizations, and multilateral institutions destroyed.
From Slate • Apr. 23, 2026
When the pulse interacts with a fast-changing event, the scattered light carries detailed spatial, spectral and phase information.
From Science Daily • Apr. 21, 2026
He rushed in to discover a hole in the ceiling and large chunks of dirty ice scattered across the floor and on a table.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 14, 2026
Millions of Sudanese citizens are scattered, some outside the country, forced from their homes in the midst of the world's worst humanitarian crisis.
From BBC • Apr. 14, 2026
Then the robot came stomping up, and the cats hissed and scattered in every direction.
From "The Wild Robot Escapes" by Peter Brown
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
