adj · name · noun · verb · 16 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
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
Received-Pronunciation:/ˈmɒtli/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
General-American:/ˈmɑtli/
CMU ARPABET:M AA1 T L IY0
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
adj
Meaning 1
Comprising greatly varied elements, to the point of incongruity.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: parti-color
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: color, colorize, colorise, colourise, colourize, colour, color in, colour in
16
verb
Meaning 16
make something more diverse and varied
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
Vary the menu
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: vary, variegate
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: diversify
Narrower terms: checker, chequer
History
Etymology
From Middle English motle, from Anglo-Norman motteley (“parti-colored”), from Old English mot (“speck”). Doublet of mote. The English word can be analysed as mottle + -y.
Across languages
Translations
87 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Armenian:
խայտաբղետ
(xaytabġet)
— comprising greatly varied elements
Bulgarian:
разнороден
(raznoroden)
— comprising greatly varied elements
Czech:
různorodý
— comprising greatly varied elements
Czech:
nesourodý
— comprising greatly varied elements
Czech:
pestrý
— comprising greatly varied elements
Dutch:
bont
— comprising greatly varied elements
Dutch:
samengeraapt
— comprising greatly varied elements
Finnish:
sekalainen
— comprising greatly varied elements
French:
hétéroclite
— comprising greatly varied elements
German:
zusammengewürfelt
— comprising greatly varied elements
German:
bunt zusammengeworfen
— comprising greatly varied elements
German:
vielfältig
— comprising greatly varied elements
German:
verschiedenartig
— comprising greatly varied elements
German:
divers
— comprising greatly varied elements
German:
heterogen
— comprising greatly varied elements
German:
bunt
— comprising greatly varied elements
Greek:
ετερόκλητος
(eteróklitos)
— comprising greatly varied elements
Greek:
ανομοιόμορφος
(anomoiómorfos)
— comprising greatly varied elements
Italian:
variegato
— comprising greatly varied elements
Italian:
eterogeneo
— comprising greatly varied elements
Japanese:
ごちゃ混ぜの
(gochamaze no)
— comprising greatly varied elements
Japanese:
寄せ集めの
(yoseatsume no)
— comprising greatly varied elements
Macedonian:
разно́роден
(raznóroden)
— comprising greatly varied elements
Persian:
آمیخته
— comprising greatly varied elements
Portuguese:
misto
— comprising greatly varied elements
Romanian:
pestriț
— comprising greatly varied elements
Romanian:
variat
— comprising greatly varied elements
Romanian:
felurit
— comprising greatly varied elements
Russian:
разношёрстный
(raznošórstnyj)
— comprising greatly varied elements
Spanish:
heterogéneo
— comprising greatly varied elements
Spanish:
variopinto
— comprising greatly varied elements
Spanish:
variado
— comprising greatly varied elements
Spanish:
abigarrado
— comprising greatly varied elements
Swedish:
brokig
— comprising greatly varied elements
Bashkir:
сыбар
(sıbar)
— having many colours; variegated
Bulgarian:
пъстър
(pǎstǎr)
— having many colours; variegated
Bulgarian:
шарен
(šaren)
— having many colours; variegated
Chinese Mandarin:
五顏六色 /五颜六色
(wǔyánliùsè)
— having many colours; variegated
Czech:
pestrý
— having many colours; variegated
Czech:
různobarevný
— having many colours; variegated
Czech:
strakatý
— having many colours; variegated
Dutch:
bont
— having many colours; variegated
Dutch:
geschakeerd
— having many colours; variegated
Finnish:
kirjava
— having many colours; variegated
French:
bigarré
— having many colours; variegated
German:
bunt
— having many colours; variegated
German:
vielfarbig
— having many colours; variegated
German:
buntgefleckt
— having many colours; variegated
German:
buntgemustert
— having many colours; variegated
German:
buntgescheckt
— having many colours; variegated
German:
kunterbunt
— having many colours; variegated
German:
scheckig
— having many colours; variegated
Greek:
πολύχρωμος
(polýchromos)
— having many colours; variegated
Italian:
multicolore
— having many colours; variegated
Italian:
variegato
— having many colours; variegated
Japanese:
雑色の
(zasshoku no)
— having many colours; variegated
Lithuanian:
margas
— having many colours; variegated
Macedonian:
ша́рен
(šáren)
— having many colours; variegated
Macedonian:
разно́боен
(raznóboen)
— having many colours; variegated
Persian:
رنگارنگ
(rangârang)
— having many colours; variegated
Plautdietsch:
bunt
— having many colours; variegated
Portuguese:
variegado
— having many colours; variegated
Romanian:
pestriț
— having many colours; variegated
Romanian:
vărgat
— having many colours; variegated
Romanian:
multicolor
— having many colours; variegated
Russian:
разноцве́тный
(raznocvétnyj)
— having many colours; variegated
Russian:
пёстрый
(pjóstryj)
— having many colours; variegated
Spanish:
abigarrado
— having many colours; variegated
