spotted

spotted — adjective

1. having small, often round marks of a different colour on a surface, whether in a

1.adjectiveB1
Definition

having small, often round marks of a different colour on a surface, whether in a regular pattern or scattered in an irregular way

Example

The cheetah's spotted coat helps it blend into dry grass while hunting.

attributive use: animal coat or fur pattern

Wei wore a spotted silk scarf that matched the dots on his dress.

attributive use: clothing or fabric pattern

Common collocations
  • spotted coat / fur / skin
  • spotted fabric / scarf / dress
  • spotted pattern / design
  • spotted with mud / ink / paint
Synonyms
  • dotted

    more neutral, often suggests a regular repeating pattern like polka dots

  • speckled

    describes very small, scattered marks; common for eggs and birds

  • flecked

    suggests tiny, irregular patches of colour; often followed by 'with'

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

spotted + noun

be + spotted

be spotted with + noun

Usage Note

Commonly used for animals (cheetahs, dogs, birds), fabrics, and natural objects. Works both before a noun ('a spotted shirt') and after the verb 'be' ('the shirt was spotted').

Common Mistakes

She wore a spotty dress.
She wore a spotted dress.
'spotty' usually means having pimples or being uneven in quality; 'spotted' describes a pattern of marks.
The cat has spot patterns.
The cat is spotted.
Use the adjective directly instead of the noun phrase.

Word family

  • spot
    nounA2
  • spot
    verbB1
  • spotless
    adjectiveB2
  • spotty
    adjectiveB2
  • spotting
    nounB2

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

All four words describe surfaces with marks of a different colour, but the size, density, and pattern differ. Dotted is the most precise — it suggests small, round marks in a regular arrangement, like polka dots on fabric. Speckled implies tiny, scattered marks in high density, often on a natural surface such as a bird's egg or a frog's skin. Flecked suggests a few scattered patches of colour (e.g., 'grey stone flecked with gold'), while mottled describes an irregular, blotchy mix of colours without clear individual spots. For example: 'a dotted blouse with matching buttons'; 'the speckled feathers of a guinea fowl'; 'marble countertops flecked with dark grey'; 'a mottled autumn leaf in shades of red and brown.'

dottedspeckledfleckedmottled

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

  • heavily spotted
  • lightly spotted
  • beautifully spotted

Phrases

  • a pattern of spots
  • covered in spots

Prepositions

  • spotted with

Etymology

Old NorseMiddle EnglishEnglish

Spotted is formed from the noun spot (a small, round mark) plus the adjective suffix -ed, meaning 'having spots'. The word spot entered English from Middle English, likely borrowed from Old Norse spotti meaning a small piece or mark. The adjective spotted has been recorded since the 1500s and was originally used to describe animal markings and flaws in materials.