spottier; spottiest
2
: lacking uniformity especially in quality
the performance was spotty
also
: irregularly or sparsely distributed
spotty attendance
spotty data
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
Some districts couldn’t staff tutors reliably, and even worse, student attendance was spotty.
—
Steve Grubbs, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025
Also, cellphone coverage can get spotty in places.
—Miami Herald, 19 Sep. 2025
With strong storms expected to be spotty, the weather service urges everyone to stay alert and have several ways to receive warnings and weather updates.
—Kansas City Star, 17 Sep. 2025
Local National Weather Service offices are calling for mostly clear skies across central and northern Michigan as well as the Upper Peninsula, though some areas could see clouds or spotty rain.
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 16 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for spotty
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Steve Grubbs, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025
Also, cellphone coverage can get spotty in places.
—Miami Herald, 19 Sep. 2025
With strong storms expected to be spotty, the weather service urges everyone to stay alert and have several ways to receive warnings and weather updates.
—Kansas City Star, 17 Sep. 2025
Local National Weather Service offices are calling for mostly clear skies across central and northern Michigan as well as the Upper Peninsula, though some areas could see clouds or spotty rain.
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 16 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for spotty
Cite this Entry
“Spotty.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spotty. Accessed 23 Sep. 2025.
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
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