The old photograph had faded into blotchy patches.
The fabric had a blotchy pattern of blue and grey.
Similar words
patchy
uneven
mottled
speckled
spotted
splotchy
dappled
Meanings
Marked with uneven patches
adjective
appearance
neutral
Covered or marked with irregular patches of colour, especially on skin or another visible surface.
Examples
Her face became blotchy after the fever.
The blotchy paint needed a second coat.
A rash left his arms red and blotchy.
The old photograph had faded into blotchy patches.
Clouds made the afternoon light look blotchy on the wall.
The fabric had a blotchy pattern of blue and grey.
Similar words
patchy
splotchy
mottled
spotted
speckled
dappled
uneven
Etymology
From blotch plus -y, recorded from the late eighteenth century for something disfigured with blotches.
FAQ
What does blotchy mean?
Blotchy means marked with irregular patches of colour or texture, especially on skin or a visible surface.
Can blotchy describe things other than skin?
Yes. Blotchy can describe paint, fabric, paper, clouds, light, or any surface with uneven patches.
Is blotchy an adjective?
Yes. Blotchy is an adjective. Related nouns include blotch and blotchiness.
What is the difference between blotchy and mottled?
Blotchy suggests irregular patches, while mottled often suggests a more blended or speckled pattern.
What are synonyms for blotchy?
Synonyms of blotchy include patchy, splotchy, mottled, spotted, speckled, and uneven.
Where does blotchy come from?
Blotchy comes from blotch plus -y, with records from the late eighteenth century.
Comments & contributions
Know this word from another angle? Add a correction, a nuance, or a usage note. New posts go public after a quick review.
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Eager Salamander
Jul 17
en español yo diría con manchas casi siempre, manchado depende del objeto
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Brisk Narwhal
Jul 17
Funny word, it sounds exactly as unpleasant as the thing looks
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Contribution
Frosty Gopher
Jul 15
In photo forums you see blotchy used for skies and shadows too. It is that cloudy JPEG/noise damage look where a smooth area breaks into islands.
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Contribution
Chipper Otter
Jul 11
One skin-language trap: red and blotchy is common, but on brown or Black skin the blotches might read purple, grey, darker, or lighter. Dont force red into the description.
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Wandering Firefly
Jul 13
thank u for this, my rash photos always look just uneven, not red
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Silver Warbler
Jul 11
The adverb is blotchily if you really need one, but it is a word that sends people back to rewrite the sentence. "The ink dried in blotches" reads better than "the ink dried blotchily".
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Chipper Seal
Jul 11
UK corner: splodge/splodgy is the messy cousin of splotch/splotchy. I would call a nursery painting splodgy, but a blotchy rash or blotchy complexion.
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Kind Cheetah
Jul 2
dont use it for normal animal spots imo. a leopard is spotted, a dalmatian is spotted, freckles are freckles. blotchy makes it sound irregular or kind of unhealthy.
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Free Oriole
Jul 6
Same with plants, speckled leaves can be pretty, blotchy leaves sound like something went wrong
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Contribution
Olive Dingo
Jun 26
For fake tan and foundation, blotchy usually means the colour caught in some places and missed others. Patchy is close, but blotchy has more of that stained/uneven-colour feel.
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Quick Ladybug
Jun 30
I say patchy for coverage and blotchy for the ugly end result, if that makes sense
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Olive Camel
Jun 20
Blotchy is just the look, not the cause. A face can go blotchy from crying, heat, booze, allergy, a rash, whatever. If you mean the medical thing, name the thing separately.
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Polar Hawk
Jun 24
yeah, "she was blotchy from crying" sounds normal to me, not like a diagnosis