adj · verb · 5 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:CH EH1 K ER0 D
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
adj
Meaning 1
Divided into a grid of squares of alternating colours or shades, or into light and dark patches.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
That is a checkered tablecloth.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
adj
Meaning 2
Changeable; inconsistent; having variations or uncertainty; marked by many problems or failures.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: figuratively
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
verb
Meaning 3
simple past and past participle of checker
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: form-of, participle, past
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
adjective satellite
Meaning 4
marked by changeable fortune
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
a checkered business career
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
5
adjective satellite
Meaning 5
patterned with alternating squares of color
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: checked, chequered
Antonyms: none provided
History
Etymology
Etymology tree English check Proto-Indo-European *-yósder. Proto-Italic *-āzios Latin -āriusnom. Latin -āriusbor. Proto-Germanic *-ārijaz Proto-West Germanic *-ārī Old English -ere Middle English -ere English -er English checker English -ed English checkered From checker + -ed.
Across languages
Translations
81 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Arabic:
مُرَبَّعَاتٍ
(murabbaʕātin)
— divided into squares
Asturian:
axedrezáu
— divided into squares
Bulgarian:
кари́ран
(karíran)
— divided into squares
Burmese:
ကျား
(kya:)
— divided into squares
Catalan:
escacat
— divided into squares
Catalan:
endauat
— divided into squares
Chinese Mandarin:
棋盤式的 /棋盘式的
(qípánshì de)
— divided into squares
Chinese Mandarin:
方格相間的 /方格相间的
(fānggé xiāngjiàn de)
— divided into squares
Chinese Mandarin:
黑白相間的 /黑白相间的
(hēibái xiāngjiàn de)
— divided into squares
Czech:
kostkovaný
— divided into squares
Czech:
kárový
— divided into squares
Danish:
ternet
— divided into squares
Dutch:
dambordachtig
— divided into squares
Dutch:
schaakbordachtig
— divided into squares
Dutch:
geblokt
— divided into squares
Finnish:
ruudullinen
— divided into squares
French:
à carreaux
— divided into squares
French:
échiqueté
— divided into squares
French:
carreauté
— divided into squares
French:
en damier
— divided into squares
Galician:
axadrezado
— divided into squares
German:
kariert
— divided into squares
German:
schachbrettartig
— divided into squares
Hungarian:
kockás
— divided into squares
Hungarian:
pepita
— divided into squares
Irish:
seicear
— divided into squares
Italian:
scaccato
— divided into squares
Italian:
a quadri
— divided into squares
Italian:
quadrettato
— divided into squares
Italian:
a scacchi
— divided into squares
Italian:
a quadretti
— divided into squares
Japanese:
格子模様の
(kōshi moyō no)
— divided into squares
Malay:
gandan
— divided into squares
Norwegian:
rutete
— divided into squares
Persian:
چارخانه
(čârxâne)
— divided into squares
Polish:
kraciasty
— divided into squares
Polish:
w kratkę
— divided into squares
Portuguese:
quadriculado
— divided into squares
Portuguese:
axadrezado
— divided into squares
Portuguese:
xadrez
— divided into squares
Romanian:
caroiat
— divided into squares
Russian:
кле́тчатый
(klétčatyj)
— divided into squares
Russian:
в кле́тку
(v klétku)
— divided into squares
Serbo-Croatian:
коцкаст
— divided into squares
Serbo-Croatian:
kockast
— divided into squares
Spanish:
a cuadros
— divided into squares
Spanish:
ajedrezado
— divided into squares
Spanish:
escaqueado
— divided into squares
Swedish:
rutig
— divided into squares
Swedish:
schackrutig
— divided into squares
Turkish:
damalı
— divided into squares
Turkish:
satrançlı
— divided into squares
Ottoman Turkish:
سطرنجلو
(satranclı)
— divided into squares
Welsh:
sgwarog
— divided into squares
Arabic:
مُرِيب
(murīb)
— changeable; inconsistent; having variations or uncertainty; marked by many problems or failures
Arabic:
مَشْكُوك فِيهِ
(maškūk fīhi)
— changeable; inconsistent; having variations or uncertainty; marked by many problems or failures
Bulgarian:
пъстър
(pǎstǎr)
— changeable; inconsistent; having variations or uncertainty; marked by many problems or failures
Chinese Mandarin:
不穩定的 /不稳定的
(bù wěndìng de)
— changeable; inconsistent; having variations or uncertainty; marked by many problems or failures
Chinese Mandarin:
變化無常的 /变化无常的
(biànhuàwúcháng de)
— changeable; inconsistent; having variations or uncertainty; marked by many problems or failures
Chinese Mandarin:
問題叢生的 /问题丛生的
(wèntí cóngshēng de)
— changeable; inconsistent; having variations or uncertainty; marked by many problems or failures
Dutch:
bont
— changeable; inconsistent; having variations or uncertainty; marked by many problems or failures
Finnish:
kirjava
— changeable; inconsistent; having variations or uncertainty; marked by many problems or failures
Finnish:
värikäs
— changeable; inconsistent; having variations or uncertainty; marked by many problems or failures
German:
wechselvoll
— changeable; inconsistent; having variations or uncertainty; marked by many problems or failures
Hungarian:
tarka
— changeable; inconsistent; having variations or uncertainty; marked by many problems or failures
Hungarian:
tarkabarka
— changeable; inconsistent; having variations or uncertainty; marked by many problems or failures
Hungarian:
színes
— changeable; inconsistent; having variations or uncertainty; marked by many problems or failures
Hungarian:
változatos
— changeable; inconsistent; having variations or uncertainty; marked by many problems or failures
Hungarian:
(eventful) fordulatos
— changeable; inconsistent; having variations or uncertainty; marked by many problems or failures
Hungarian:
eseménydús
— changeable; inconsistent; having variations or uncertainty; marked by many problems or failures
Hungarian:
mozgalmas
— changeable; inconsistent; having variations or uncertainty; marked by many problems or failures
Hungarian:
hányatott
— changeable; inconsistent; having variations or uncertainty; marked by many problems or failures
Hungarian:
hányattatott
— changeable; inconsistent; having variations or uncertainty; marked by many problems or failures
Italian:
variegato
— changeable; inconsistent; having variations or uncertainty; marked by many problems or failures
Italian:
contrastato
— changeable; inconsistent; having variations or uncertainty; marked by many problems or failures
Italian:
a luci e ombre
— changeable; inconsistent; having variations or uncertainty; marked by many problems or failures
Japanese:
数奇
(sūki)
— changeable; inconsistent; having variations or uncertainty; marked by many problems or failures
Russian:
пёстрый
(pjóstryj)
— changeable; inconsistent; having variations or uncertainty; marked by many problems or failures
Russian:
изме́нчивый
(izménčivyj)
— changeable; inconsistent; having variations or uncertainty; marked by many problems or failures
Russian:
разнообра́зный
(raznoobráznyj)
— changeable; inconsistent; having variations or uncertainty; marked by many problems or failures
Swedish:
brokig
— changeable; inconsistent; having variations or uncertainty; marked by many problems or failures