spotty

adjective

spot·​ty ˈspä-tē How to pronounce spotty (audio)
spottier; spottiest
1
: marked with spots : spotted
2
: lacking uniformity especially in quality
the performance was spotty
also : irregularly or sparsely distributed
spotty attendance
spotty data
spottily adverb
spottiness noun

Examples of spotty in a Sentence

Her work has been spotty. The service at that restaurant is a little spotty. students with spotty attendance records
Recent Examples on the Web Quick Read Deep Read ( 4 Min. ) Lawson Waldrop used to have a spotty attendance record. Jackie Valley, The Christian Science Monitor, 22 Oct. 2024 Virtual learning hasn’t been an option while school has been closed because internet connectivity has been spotty. Kathy Park, NBC News, 16 Oct. 2024 Frustrated by spotty street signage, Gleason devised a standardized system for determining one's distance from Central Avenue and Van Buren Street in Downtown Phoenix. Douglas C. Towne, The Arizona Republic, 5 Oct. 2024 The age of the poles isn’t a sole factor for spotty reliability but are relatively older than infrastructure for other utilities, according to the audit. Arpan Lobo, Detroit Free Press, 24 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for spotty 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'spotty.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of spotty was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near spotty

Cite this Entry

“Spotty.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spotty. Accessed 2 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

spotty

adjective
spot·​ty ˈspät-ē How to pronounce spotty (audio)
spottier; spottiest
1
: having spots
2
: not always the same especially in quality
your work has been spotty
spottily adverb
spottiness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on spotty

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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