blotchy

Everyday

Covered in blotches; marked with uneven patches of colour. tree →

In the lessons

Skin can go blotchy after crying, running, cold, or with a rash or allergy. Old paintwork and dyed cloth can be blotchy. In the Just So Stories, Kipling's Leopard gets his spots from the Ethiopian's fingertips, and the forest is «speckly, spotty, patchy-blatchy» with shadows — Kipling plays with such words.

Examples

• Her face was blotchy from crying. tree →
• The paint dried blotchy because it was too thin. tree →
• His skin went red and blotchy in the cold wind. tree →
• The forest shade was stripy and blotchy. tree →
• The old map was blotchy with water stains. tree →
• A blotchy rash can be a sign of illness — tell an adult. tree →
• If you can cure yourself of that blotchy skin and that rheumatic gait, someone might believe you. tree →

Note

Comparisons blotchier, blotchiest. Similar: patchy, spotty, mottled.