spotty

adjective

ˈspä-tē How to pronounce spotty (audio)
Definition of spottynext
1
as in sporadic
lacking in steadiness or regularity of occurrence only spotty business failures marred the economic boom

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in dotted
marked with spots Dalmatians are spotty dogs

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of spotty Any leftover spotty shower threat is fading quickly, and the afternoon and evening look dry. — Kate Bilo, CBS News, 18 Sep. 2026 Gill’s team was doing field work in western Alaska and had only spotty internet service; the team would gather around a laptop, waiting for the updates on E7’s location to come through. — Rivka Galchen, New Yorker, 14 Sep. 2026 The leaves often have spotty color in fall, resulting in an interesting array of green, yellow, red, and burgundy—sometimes all on one leaf. — Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 12 Sep. 2026 As the wreckage of the World Trade Center continued to burn, cell phone and land-line service was spotty for days and weeks. — Evan Simko-Bednarski, New York Daily News, 11 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for spotty
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spotty
  1. sporadic
  2. dotted
  3. intermittent
  4. colored
  5. occasional
  6. erratic
Adjective
  • That said, devolving tropical storms can pack a punch with sporadic gusts and showers as the energy that was formerly bundled in the storm’s center releases outward.
    — Sean Macaday, Sacbee.com, 8 Oct. 2026
  • There were sporadic film entries from the 1970s on, but most of Saint’s work during that era (and well into the 2000s) would be for television.
    — Greg Evans, Deadline, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of sporadic
Adjective
  • Peghah Maleknejad, fashion director of Hero and Heroine Magazine, bought the dotted mesh long dress for $359 on her phone while waiting for the Alainpaul show to start.
    — Joe Bobowicz, Vogue, 2 Oct. 2026
  • To reduce confusion, the top plate has a dotted pattern around each key position that can accept a magnetic switch.
    — Francisco Lahoz, PC Magazine, 12 Sep. 2026
Definition of dotted
Adjective
  • There are still intermittent closures and construction connected to recovery projects, and the park service recommends consulting the road status section of its website when traveling to the region.
    — Jeanne Bonner, CNN Money, 7 Oct. 2026
  • My prototype suffered from intermittent rolling resistance with the motor off.
    — Thomas Ricker, The Verge, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of intermittent
Adjective
  • Hazel is actually an unusual, multi-colored eye type that features a mix of brown, green, and gold or amber hues.
    — Lars Brandle, Billboard, 7 Oct. 2026
  • In a city better known for restrained modernism, La Tulipe is a playful bouquet of concrete and colored glass.
    — Kieron Marchese, Architectural Digest, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of colored
Adjective
  • The significance of the work goes beyond eliminating the occasional frustrating chatbot conversation.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 4 Oct. 2026
  • An occasional bird would chirp in the distance, but the forest emanated an eerie stillness, said Young, a research ecologist at the University of California, Davis.
    — Taylor Romine, CNN Money, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of occasional
Adjective
  • Just as the industry began recovering from a multiyear freight slowdown, the administration began cracking down on immigrant drivers earlier this year, exacerbating the impact from the erratic tariff announcements.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Because China’s system is tightly controlled, its descent into personalistic one-man rule does not play out in divisive confrontations on television or erratic social media rants by the top leader.
    — Carl Minzner, Foreign Affairs, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of erratic

Browse Nearby Words

spotting
spotty
spousal
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Cite this Entry

“Spotty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spotty. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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