patchy

[ pach-ee ]
See synonyms for patchy on Thesaurus.com
adjective,patch·i·er, patch·i·est.
  1. characterized by or made up of patches.

  2. occurring in, forming, or like patches.

  1. of inconsistent or irregular quality, texture, etc.; not uniform: patchy acting; patchy areas of fog.

Origin of patchy

1
First recorded in 1790–1800; patch1 + -y1

Other words from patchy

  • patch·i·ly, adverb
  • patch·i·ness, noun

Words Nearby patchy

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use patchy in a sentence

  • The works, as wholes, are not altogether satisfactory in the matter of form, and appear somewhat patchy.

  • He ran in the direction he thought the would-be assassin must have taken, but the fog was patchy and he misjudged.

    The Daffodil Mystery | Edgar Wallace
  • The field was a vast place, partly stubbly grass, partly worn and patchy, like a parade-ground.

    Letters from America | Rupert Brooke
  • The Dutch samplers might, as a rule, be described as patchy.

  • During the following summer we collected seed of the same grasses to sow early in spring in any patchy or bare places.

    Wood and Garden | Gertrude Jekyll

British Dictionary definitions for patchy

patchy

/ (ˈpætʃɪ) /


adjectivepatchier or patchiest
  1. irregular in quality, occurrence, intensity, etc: a patchy essay

  2. having or forming patches

Derived forms of patchy

  • patchily, adverb
  • patchiness, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012