patchier; patchiest
1
: marked by, consisting of, or diversified with patches
2
: irregular in appearance, makeup, or quality
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
While many didn’t supply much outside of a nice scent and a tingling sensations, others improved our strands before our very eyes — filling in previously patchy spots, boosting thickness, and restoring the confidence from our good hair days of yore.
—
Alyssa Brascia, People.com, 29 Oct. 2024
There’s also a chance of patchy drizzle in Los Angeles County starting late Sunday night.
—Dakota Smith, Los Angeles Times, 27 Oct. 2024
Internet access across sub-Saharan Africa is patchy to say the least: while around two thirds of people in southern Africa are online, that falls to only 24% in Central Africa, while the figure for West Africa is around 30%.
—Sandy Carter, Forbes, 21 Oct. 2024
Added to this, the regulatory environment around health care AI has been patchy, particularly in the U.S. where the framework has only recently started catching up with European standards.
—Chris Morris, Fortune, 14 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for patchy 
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of
Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback
about these examples.
Alyssa Brascia, People.com, 29 Oct. 2024
There’s also a chance of patchy drizzle in Los Angeles County starting late Sunday night.
—Dakota Smith, Los Angeles Times, 27 Oct. 2024
Internet access across sub-Saharan Africa is patchy to say the least: while around two thirds of people in southern Africa are online, that falls to only 24% in Central Africa, while the figure for West Africa is around 30%.
—Sandy Carter, Forbes, 21 Oct. 2024
Added to this, the regulatory environment around health care AI has been patchy, particularly in the U.S. where the framework has only recently started catching up with European standards.
—Chris Morris, Fortune, 14 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for patchy
Dictionary Entries Near patchy
Cite this Entry
“Patchy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/patchy. Accessed 16 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
patchy
adjective
patchier; patchiest
: consisting of or marked by patches : resembling patchwork
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share