patchy
/ˈpatʃi
/adjective (patchier, patchiest)
1Existing or happening in small, isolated areas: patchy fog...
- Mozambique's drought is patchy, with some areas enjoying good rainfall or able to use old Portuguese colonial-era irrigation schemes to boost production.
- Graziers tell stories of good years when the grass is up to their waists, but at the moment, only patchy areas have enough rain to put a nice bit of grass on the ground.
- The over sowing of old patchy lawn areas can also be tackled at this time.
Synonyms
uneven, bitty, varying, variable, variegated, dappled, mottled, speckled, multicoloured;
intermittent, fitful, occasional, fluctuating, sporadic, erratic, irregular, random
1.1Not of the same quality throughout; inconsistent: your coursework was patchy my knowledge of Egyptology is patchy...
- Evidence based on research within Ukraine is patchy and its quality varies between regions (oblasts).
- The authors are the first to admit that much of the information is patchy and of variable quality, reflecting the often parlous state of official data.
- However, the illustrations are a bit patchy, varying in quality and style.
Synonyms
fragmentary, deficient, inadequate, insufficient, lacking, rudimentary, limited, sketchy
Derivatives
patchily
/ adverb ...- By the end of this patchily engrossing and occasionally dense overview, Gould has managed to encapsulate the intrinsic worth of each domain.
- Ralph ducked, screwing his eyes shut and concentrating on invisibility, but he opened one eye to check on the situation, and as a result became patchily visible as an irregular pattern of scarlet in the green leaves.
- None the less the Act has impacted on police practices, albeit unevenly and patchily.
patchiness
/ noun ...- A diel study of the population in October indicated that the patchiness of population also changed dramatically between day and night.
- Given the patchiness of the current cabinet's performance, many are putting their hope in a new, more capable batch of ministers, at the latest after the August MPR session.
- It claimed it needed it, but I question how much need was involved, given that on the occasions I managed to coax printing out there were no signs of fading or patchiness.