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
Forecasters expect warm holiday weather with spotty but potentially severe storms, hail and strong winds that could briefly disrupt fireworks, flyovers and crowds at Mount Rushmore.
—
Brandi D. Addison,
USA Today,
2 July 2026
Warsh has argued that policymakers have spent too much time trying to predict the future, with a spotty record of doing so.
—
Jeff Cox,
CNBC,
1 July 2026
For years, testing was spotty at best, and doctors often weren’t aware of the syndrome.
—
Burkhard Bilger,
New Yorker,
29 June 2026
Repeating plants in odd numbers of three or five looks more natural and less spotty.
—
Luke Miller,
Better Homes & Gardens,
29 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for spotty
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Brandi D. Addison,
USA Today,
2 July 2026
Warsh has argued that policymakers have spent too much time trying to predict the future, with a spotty record of doing so.
—
Jeff Cox,
CNBC,
1 July 2026
For years, testing was spotty at best, and doctors often weren’t aware of the syndrome.
—
Burkhard Bilger,
New Yorker,
29 June 2026
Repeating plants in odd numbers of three or five looks more natural and less spotty.
—
Luke Miller,
Better Homes & Gardens,
29 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for spotty
Cite this Entry
“Spotty.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spotty. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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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