WordGarden.iopatchy
C2Pronunciation
UK
- /pˈætʃi/
US
- /ˈpætʃi/
Meanings
Adjective
marked by irregular patches or uneven areas
uneven, unreliable, or incomplete in quality or coverage
Beyond the definition
Imagine an old quilt made of mismatched fabric scraps—that's patchy! It describes something that is not uniform, with gaps or inconsistencies. A patchy lawn might have bare spots, a patchy memory means you only remember bits and pieces, and a patchy signal on your phone keeps cutting out.
Think of it like this: if something is smooth, it's consistent all over. If it's patchy, it has areas where things are missing or different. You might describe the weather as patchy if it's sunny in some places and raining in others. A detective investigating a case might find the evidence patchy, meaning incomplete and unreliable.
The word "patchy" describes something that is not continuous or uniform; instead, it is made up of distinct areas or "patches" that differ from one another. It suggests uneven coverage, often implying incompleteness or inconsistency.
You might encounter "patchy" when describing physical things like a patchy coat of paint on an old wall—meaning the paint is worn away in places, leaving bare spots. Or perhaps you've heard about patchy cell phone reception while driving through rural areas, where the signal fades in and out.
But "patchy" isn't limited to physical descriptions. It can also refer to abstract things like knowledge or understanding. A patchy education might mean someone has gaps in their learning, knowing a lot about some subjects but very little about others. Similarly, a patchy memory is one filled with fragmented recollections and missing details.
Historically, the word comes from "patch," referring to a piece of cloth used to repair something—hence the idea of unevenness or incompleteness.
So, whether you're talking about landscapes, signals, knowledge, or memories, "patchy" always suggests an irregularity—a surface or experience that isn't smooth, consistent, or complete. It highlights areas where something is missing, broken, or simply different from the rest.
Examples
- 1
Lawn
The grass was patchy after a long, dry summer.
- 2
Facial hair
He was trying to grow a beard, but it still looked patchy.
- 3
Weather forecast
Expect patchy rain across the coast this afternoon.
- 4
Hotel Wi-Fi
The Wi-Fi is patchy in the back rooms of the hotel.
More examplesFewer examples
- 5
Memory
My memory of that year is patchy, but I remember the final day clearly.
- 6
Sports performance
The team's performance has been patchy, with one good game followed by two poor ones.
- 7
News coverage
News coverage of the floods was patchy at first, especially in smaller towns.
See also
Similar
Shades of meaning
Contrast
Used with (collocations)
- patchy coverage
- patchy service
- patchy memory
- patchy fog
Word family
- patchiness
- patchily
Explore
- uneven distribution
- coverage gap
Forms and spellings
3 forms open this card.
Main spelling
- patchyadjective
Forms
- patchiercomparativeadjective
- patchiestsuperlativeadjective