mottled
Patchy in color
Mottled describes a surface marked with irregular spots or patches of different colors or shades: mottled skin, mottled marble, the mottled light filtering through leaves.
The pattern suggests unevenness rather than design—blotchy rather than patterned.
Mottling often indicates age, disease, or natural variation: His hands were mottled with age spots.
Marked with spots
- fleckedSpotted with small marks
- spottedSeen or patterned
- stippledMarked with small dots
- freckledHaving small pigmented spots
blotched · splotched · peppered · pied · piebald · brindled · pinto · calico
Marred by discoloration
- blotchedMarked with irregular spots
- blemishedHaving visible defects
- tarnishedOxidized and discolored
- marredDamaged or disfigured
faded · bruised · livid · patchy · uneven · weathered · aged · foxed
Marked with spots
- crypticObscure in meaning
- disruptiveTending to interrupt order
- concealingKeeping something secret
- blendingCombining into uniformity
camouflaged · camo · woodland · jungle · desert · spotted · irregular · breaking
dappled
Marked with spots
freckled · blotched · splotched · peppered · pied · piebald · brindled · pinto · calico · maculate
stained
Marred by discoloration
marred · faded · bruised · livid · patchy · uneven · weathered · aged · foxed · rusty
dappled
Marked with spots
- crypticObscure in meaning
- disruptiveTending to interrupt order
- concealingKeeping something secret
blending · camouflaged · camo · woodland · jungle · desert · spotted · irregular · breaking · natural
veined
Marked with linear channels
- streakedMarked with bands
- swirledMoved in curves
- variegatedMarked with different colors
striated · feathered · grained · banded · rippled · agate · jasper · terrazzo · onyx · granite
- animal markingsspots, stripes, rings, patches, bands
- discoloredstained, faded, yellowed, browned, bleached
- pattern descriptorsstriped, spotted, checkered, plaid, floral
- skin descriptionssmooth, rough, dry, oily, fair
- texturessmoothness, smooth, soft, rough, roughness
- dotted patternsspotted, stippled, flecked, speckled, polka dot
mottleduniform
Identical throughout
solid · plain · monochrome · monochromatic · unpatterned
- mottled skinIrregularly pigmented body surface