adjective
Common
scattered
SKA-tuhd
Scattered (adjective) means Spread out unevenly over an area rather than gathered together. Example: “Scattered clouds drifted across the sky all afternoon.”
adjective
1
Spread out unevenly over an area rather than gathered together.
"Scattered clouds drifted across the sky all afternoon."
"There were scattered showers across the region."
"His notes were scattered across the desk."
How to use scattered
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishSpread out here and there, not in one place.
Common pairings
scattered showers
scattered across
widely scattered
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Word forms
- Comparative
- more scattered
- Superlative
- most scattered
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_____ clouds drifted across the sky all afternoon.
Synonyms
View more →
dispersed
strewn
dotted
sprinkled
straggling
diffuse
confused
disconnected
illogical
garbled
disordered
disjointed
Antonyms
Related words
Rhymes for scattered
See all rhymes for scattered →Frequently asked questions
What does “scattered” mean?
The word “scattered” means spread out unevenly over an area rather than gathered together. In plain terms, spread out here and there, not in one place.
How do you pronounce “scattered”?
“Scattered” is pronounced SKA-tuhd (/ˈskætɚd/ in IPA).
How do you use “scattered” in a sentence?
Here is “scattered” used in a sentence: “There were scattered showers across the region.”
What part of speech is “scattered”?
“Scattered” is an adjective.
Is “scattered” a common word?
“Scattered” is a fairly common word in modern English.
What is the difference between "scattered" and "spread"?
"Scattered" means spread out unevenly and often randomly over an area, with gaps between things, while "spread" can mean distributed evenly or covering a surface completely. Something scattered looks irregular and patchy, whereas something spread may be smooth or uniform.
What is the difference between "scattered" and "dispersed"?
Both mean spread out rather than gathered together, but "dispersed" often suggests things were deliberately or forcefully driven apart from a central point. "Scattered" simply describes an uneven, irregular distribution, so a crowd is dispersed by police, but leaves are scattered across a lawn.
