spotty

adjective

spot·​ty ˈspä-tē 

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

ˈspä-tə-lē 

adverb

spottiness

ˈspä-tē-nəs 

noun

Synonyms

• aperiodic
• casual
• catchy
• choppy
• discontinuous
• episodic
• episodical
• erratic
• fitful
• intermittent
• irregular
• occasional
• spasmodic
• spastic
• sporadic
• unsteady

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

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

spotty

adjective

spot·​ty ˈspät-ē 

spottier; spottiest

1

: having spots

2

: not always the same especially in quality

your work has been spotty

spottily

ˈspät-ᵊl-ē 

adverb

spottiness

ˈspät-ē-nəs 

noun