dappled

adjective

dap·​pled ˈda-pəld 

variants or less commonly dapple

ˈda-pəl 

: marked with small spots or patches contrasting with the background

a dappled fawn

Synonyms

• dotted
• flecked
• freckled
• mottled
• specked
• speckled
• splotchy
• spotted
• spotty
• stippled
• variegated

Examples of dappled in a Sentence

a forest that was vibrant with the dappled foliage of autumn

Recent Examples on the Web

The donkey in that clip looked utterly content, trotting through tall yellow grass in the dappled sunlight. —Cnn.com Wire Service, The Mercury News, 21 June 2024

Monarch butterflies also increased in number and fluttered their dappled wings across the sites. —Syris Valentine, Scientific American, 19 Mar. 2024

For a late season salad bar, lettuce and herbs can be grown in the dappled shade and enjoyed into the hotter parts of the season. —Kristin Guy, Sunset Magazine, 21 May 2024

If a political debate is your idea of a good time — rather than, say, sitting on the sugary sands of some beach watching a dappled sunset play on the water, more power to you! —Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times, 19 May 2024

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

dappled

adjective

dap·​pled

ˈdap-əld

variants also dapple

: marked with numerous usually cloudy and rounded spots or patches of a color or shade different from their background

a dappled fawn

rested in the dappled shade