spottier; spottiest
2
: lacking uniformity especially in quality
the performance was spotty
also
: irregularly or sparsely distributed
spotty attendance
spotty data
Synonyms
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 
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.
Dictionary Entries Near spotty
Cite this Entry
“Spotty.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spotty. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share