Word
spotty
Phoneticsspot·ty
US/ˈspɑti/
UK/spˈɒti/
Definition
adj. having many small holes, spots, or patches. You use this to describe things like a weak internet connection or a surface that is not smooth.
adj. characterised by numerous small holes, spots, or patches; uneven in quality or coverage. Often used to describe physical surfaces or digital signals.
Examples
“The internet connection is spotty in this area.”
“The old screen has a spotty display, making it difficult to read the text clearly.”
“The satellite signal remains spotty during heavy storms, leading to frequent interruptions in the live broadcast of the event.”
Examples
simple
“The internet connection is spotty in this area.”
contextual
“The old screen has a spotty display, making it difficult to read the text clearly.”
complex
“The satellite signal remains spotty during heavy storms, leading to frequent interruptions in the live broadcast of the event.”
Etymology
From Middle English spotty, equivalent to spot + -y.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/spotty