Dappled

Marked with irregular patches or spots of contrasting color or light.

Reach for it when describing a surface whose broken pattern gives it visual variety

Dappled light moved across the reading room as the branches stirred.

• everyday

  speckled

  when numerous tiny, separate marks make the pattern

  not when Speckles are too small and discrete for broad patches of shade.

• everyday

  spotted

  when the marks have clear, countable boundaries

  not when Spotted lacks the soft, shifting pattern often conveyed by dappled.

• warm

  flecked

  when sparse little streaks or points interrupt a base color

  not when Flecks are scattered accents, not an overall patchwork.

• professional

  mottled

  when irregular areas of different shades cover a surface

  not when Mottled can suggest discoloration or damage instead of an attractive play of light.

• formal

  variegated

  when several colors or forms create broad variation

  not when Variegated need not contain the small patches characteristic of dappling.

• literary

  stippled

  when a dotted texture or artistic technique is meant

  not when Stippled sounds technical and wrongly implies that dots produced the effect.

• plain
• uniform
• unspotted

• dappled sunlight

  Dappled sunlight warmed the moss beside the woodland path.

• dappled shade

  The bench rested in dappled shade beneath two old maples.

• dappled coat

  The foal's dappled coat became silver in the winter light.

• dappled pattern

  A dappled pattern of blue and green softened the long wall.