Meaning & use
mottled
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Meaning
adjectivenot comparable
Having irregular spots or patches of different colors or shades.
Grammar: Not used with 'more' or 'most'; say 'more mottled' only informally.
Patterns
- mottled with something
The old mirror had a mottled surface that made everything look blurry.
The leaves are mottled with yellow and brown spots.
The cat's fur is mottled, with patches of black, orange, and white.
Common combinations
- mottled skin
- The cold water made his skin look mottled.
- mottled appearance
- The stone has a mottled appearance due to age.
- mottled green
- The camouflage jacket was mottled green and brown.
- mottled with
- The banana was mottled with brown spots.
Synonyms and how they differ
- speckled
- Speckled means covered with small dots or marks, often more regular than mottled.
- blotchy
- Blotchy suggests larger, uneven patches, often on skin, and can imply a temporary condition.
- dappled
- Dappled describes patches of light and shadow, especially in nature, rather than color.
Opposites
Word family
- mottle verb
- To mark something with spots or patches.
- mottling noun
- The state of being mottled; a pattern of spots.
Commonly confused: mottled or mortal?
mottled vs mortal
Mortal means causing death or subject to death; mottled is about color patterns. They sound somewhat similar but are unrelated.
Practice
The butterfly's wings were ___ with silver and blue.
Choose one answer.
'Mottled' is the adjective needed after 'were' to describe the wings. 'Mottling' is a noun or participle, 'mottle' is a verb, and 'mottles' is a verb form, so none fit the adjective slot.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “mottled”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.