patchy

adjective

ˈpa-chē 

patchier; patchiest

1

: marked by, consisting of, or diversified with patches

2

: irregular in appearance, makeup, or quality

patchily

ˈpa-chə-lē 

adverb

patchiness

ˈpa-chē-nəs 

noun

Examples of patchy in a Sentence

The lawn is kind of patchy this year.

Patchy fog made driving difficult.

His knowledge of the language is patchy.

She has only a patchy understanding of his condition.

Recent Examples on the Web

Communications are patchy and increasingly difficult. —Sara Monetta, NBC news, 19 June 2025

The property’s wi-fi, which can be patchy down in the Delta, is provided by Starlink, and is more reliable, Brown said. —David Caraccio, Sacbee.com, 14 June 2025

There is a possibility of patchy smoke and haze on Friday across north-central and northeastern Missouri, as well as into central Missouri. —Robert A. Cronkleton, Kansas City Star, 30 May 2025

On May 19, 2025 English has become the lingua franca in the Gulf, but fluency is patchy, and Arabic, the official language, plays only a limited role outside legal and government contexts. —London School Of Economics, Forbes.com, 20 May 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1583, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for patchy

• catchy
• scratchy
• apache
• malachi

Kids Definition

patchy

adjective

ˈpach-ē 

patchier; patchiest

: consisting of or marked by patches : resembling patchwork