Meaning & use
spotless
Last updated
Meanings
adjectivenot comparable
Completely clean; having no dirt, marks, or stains.
Grammar: Usually not compared; you say 'absolutely spotless' rather than 'more spotless'.
Patterns
- spotless kitchen
- spotless floor
- spotless white shirt
She cleaned the kitchen until it was spotless.
He always keeps his car spotless.
The hotel room was spotless, with fresh towels and no dust anywhere.
adjectivenot comparablefigurative
Without any faults or moral stains; perfect and blameless.
Grammar: Often used with 'record' or 'reputation' to mean no mistakes or bad behavior.
Patterns
- spotless record
- spotless reputation
- spotless career
The candidate had a spotless record of public service.
Her spotless reputation made her the ideal choice for the award.
He maintained a spotless driving record for over twenty years.
Word forms
| comparative | more spotless |
|---|---|
| superlative | most spotless |
Common combinations
- keep something spotless
- She keeps her apartment spotless.
- spotless clean
- The new lab is spotless clean.
- spotless white
- He wore a spotless white uniform.
- absolutely spotless
- The glass table was absolutely spotless.
Synonyms and how they differ
- immaculate
- Stronger and more formal than 'spotless'; often suggests a high standard of cleanliness or perfection.
- pristine
- Suggests something is in its original, unspoiled condition, not just clean.
- clean
- A general word; 'spotless' emphasizes that there is not a single mark.
Opposites
Word family
- spotlessly adverb
- In a spotless manner; completely clean.
- spotlessness noun
- The state of being completely clean or without fault.
Commonly confused: spotless or spotty?
spotless vs spotty
Means 'marked with spots' or 'inconsistent'; it is almost the opposite of 'spotless' in the sense of cleanliness.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'spotless' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Spotless' means completely clean or without faults. In option C, wiping the table until it is spotless makes sense. Option A contradicts itself, option B uses 'spotless' with a negative meaning, and option D misuses it to describe a child who makes a mess.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “spotless”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.