1
: variegated in color
a motley coat
2
: made up of many different people or things
a motley crowd
a motley collection of junk
Synonyms
Examples of motley in a Sentence
Adjective
a motley collection of junk
a motley crew of musicians
Noun
the motleys with their colorful outfits
a motley of old junk stored in the attic
Recent Examples on the Web
Judy Berman, TIME, 26 Dec. 2024
Yes, 20 years since a motley group of Brits chose to ride out the zombie apocalypse at their local pub.
—Longreads, 19 Dec. 2024
Rudy Lee, New York Times, 17 Oct. 2023
This made us—with all our human, mortal limitations—rather like the God of all those past centuries of belief, or should that be credulity: the God who retained and stored away everything in his motley, moveless time, in which nothing was new or old, remote or recent.
—Margaret Jull Costa, Harper’s Magazine , 10 Apr. 2023
See all Example Sentences for motley 
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Adjective
Now a disillusioned traffic cop, Jun-ho gets drawn into Gi-hun’s unofficial investigation, which sends Gi-hun to the arena for Squid Game 2024 as Jun-ho and his motley team try to follow him and end the game forever.
—Judy Berman, TIME, 26 Dec. 2024
Yes, 20 years since a motley group of Brits chose to ride out the zombie apocalypse at their local pub.
—Longreads, 19 Dec. 2024
Noun
Kaan kaan wu, with its motley of melds, is where these two tiles from different suits can be used in a clean-sweeping hand.
—Rudy Lee, New York Times, 17 Oct. 2023
This made us—with all our human, mortal limitations—rather like the God of all those past centuries of belief, or should that be credulity: the God who retained and stored away everything in his motley, moveless time, in which nothing was new or old, remote or recent.
—Margaret Jull Costa, Harper’s Magazine , 10 Apr. 2023
See all Example Sentences for motley
Dictionary Entries Near motley
Cite this Entry
“Motley.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/motley. Accessed 30 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
motley
1 of 2 adjective
mot·ley
ˈmät-lē 
1
: having various colors
2
: composed of various often unlike kinds or parts
a motley collection of junk
motley
2 of 2 noun1
a
: a garment of mixed colors worn by a court jester
2
: a mixture of different elements
Biographical Definition
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