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

The indie box office continues its post-COVID struggle, making festival acquisitions spotty. —Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 11 Feb. 2025

Have there been years when germination has been spotty or not at all? —Betty Cahill, The Denver Post, 10 Feb. 2025

Rain will begin slowly Saturday, with scattered spotty showers, before increasing to become more widespread Sunday and Monday. —Kenton Gewecke, ABC News, 25 Jan. 2025

In the aftermath, Paradise’s government came under scrutiny for haphazard evacuation-road planning and a spotty emergency alert system, which contributed what would become the deadliest wildfire in state history. —Noah Haggerty, Los Angeles Times, 24 Jan. 2025

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