patchily
/ˈpætʃəli/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈpætʃəli/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈpachə̇lē/ (ame, mw)
patchily — adverb
1. spread or appearing in scattered spots rather than all over, with some areas cov
spread or appearing in scattered spots rather than all over, with some areas covered and others left empty.
The new paint was applied patchily across the bedroom wall, leaving bare spots near the corners.
verb + patchily for uneven physical coverage
Fog hung patchily over the valley, thick above the river but clearing around João's farm.
describing uneven distribution across a landscape
Snow lay patchily on the hillside, gathering in the dips and melting where the sun touched it.
Yael's beard grew in patchily, with thick clumps along the jaw and bare skin on the cheeks.
The mobile signal worked patchily inside the old stone church, dropping out behind the thick pillars.
- unevenly
broader; covers any uneven distribution, including thickness and timing, not just spotty coverage
- sporadically
stresses uneven occurrence over time more than across a surface
- spottily
near-synonym; slightly more informal, especially in American English
用法筆記
Subject is usually a physical substance, coverage, or signal that can be unevenly distributed across a surface or area. Distinguish from sense 2, which describes uneven quality of performance over time.
常見錯誤
2. showing very mixed quality — strong in some moments or sections and noticeably w
showing very mixed quality — strong in some moments or sections and noticeably weak in others, like an essay that argues sharply in one paragraph and then loses its thread in the next.
Omar's first novel is written patchily, with brilliant chapters followed by long, dull stretches.
uneven quality across parts of one creative work
The young pianist played patchily during the recital, dazzling in the slow pieces but stumbling through the faster ones.
performance with strong and weak moments side by side
Putri remembered the trip only patchily — a market in Hanoi, a boat ride, and very little else.
Local trains run patchily on Sundays, with long gaps in the morning and a sudden rush after lunch.
Eve had been sleeping patchily for weeks, waking three or four times before her alarm finally rang.
- unevenly
broader; covers uneven quality without the implication of distinct strong and weak parts
- inconsistently
more neutral; stresses lack of regularity without implying any part was good
- fitfully
narrower; emphasises stopping and starting rather than mixed quality
- consistently
at the same level the whole time
- steadily
without big changes from one moment to the next
用法筆記
Frequently used with verbs of performance, memory, writing, or service (perform, remember, sleep, run, work). Distinguish from sense 1, where the unevenness is about physical spread across an area; here the unevenness is about quality or consistency over time or across parts.