motley 1 of 2

adjective

ˈmät-lē How to pronounce motley (audio)
Definition of motleynext
1
as in eclectic
consisting of many things of different sorts a ship with a motley crew of old salts, young adventurers, and shifty characters of all ages

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in colorful
marked by a variety of usually vivid colors a tropical bird with motley plumage

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

motley

2 of 2

noun

1
as in fool
a person formerly kept in a royal or noble household to amuse with jests and pranks the motleys with their colorful outfits

Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in assortment
an unorganized collection or mixture of various things a motley of old junk stored in the attic

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of motley
Adjective
The subtitle for the game is Beyond Dreams and deals with a protagonist (shown above) who is plagued by strange visions in his sleep, with what looks like a motley bunch of companions. — Ollie Barder, Forbes.com, 27 May 2026 The Paper centered on Michael Keaton — in his third film with Howard — as Henry Hackett, metro editor of the New York Sun, who navigates a motley roster of colleagues, including his nemesis in managing editor Alicia Clark (Glenn Close), over a 24-hour period to get that day’s edition to newsstands. — Ryan Gajewski, HollywoodReporter, 10 May 2026
Noun
Her goal is to start a women’s consciousness-raising group, and her efforts have brought together a motley, inquisitive quintet. — Sara Holdren, Vulture, 20 Feb. 2025 Kaan kaan wu, with its motley of melds, is where these two tiles from different suits can be used in a clean-sweeping hand. — Rudy Lee, New York Times, 17 Oct. 2023 See All Example Sentences for motley
Recent Examples of Synonyms for motley
  1. eclectic
  2. colorful
  3. fool
  4. assortment
  5. varied
  6. colored
  7. clown
  8. jumble
Adjective
  • While there have been some minimal interior changes over the decades (there’s no longer a payphone or cigarette machine), the eclectic nature of Mac’s clientele has remained the same.
    — Amanda Rosa, Miami Herald, 2 Sep. 2026
  • An eclectic list of folks have commented about it, from country singer Brad Paisley and comedian Conan O’Brien to ESPN’s Scott Van Pelt, Chiefs coach Andy Reid and former MLB star Rick Sutcliffe.
    — Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of eclectic
Adjective
  • One Baguette is covered in a kaleidoscopic geometric pattern of colorful beads; another resembles a tiny textile artwork in dusty pink, green, and turquoise.
    — Lilah Ramzi, Vogue, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Mexico’s Jorge Campos became almost as famous for his wildly colorful uniforms as his saves.
    — Asli Pelit, New York Times, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of colorful
Noun
  • But don’t let the cute style fool you—this look is super practical, too.
    — Kayla Becker, Travel + Leisure, 29 Aug. 2026
  • However, reinventing Beethoven at the Bowl, doing so following Dudamel and with little rehearsal time, could easily become a fool’s errand.
    — Classical Music Critic, Los Angeles Times, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of fool
Noun
  • The announcement marks yet another win for the Midwest, with the magazine praising John's Food & Wine for its warm atmosphere, crisp cocktails and delicious assortment of American fare.
    — Hannah Hudnall, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Jim Boscov, chairman and CEO at Boscov’s, said the retailer has always been differentiated on value, assortment and service.
    — Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of assortment
Adjective
  • Ravens famously accompany Odin in Norse mythology, while ravens and crows play important—and varied—roles in the traditions of many Indigenous peoples across North America.
    — Blythe Copeland, Martha Stewart, 31 Aug. 2026
  • In some initial results, dead fish collected from the mass mortality events showed consistently high levels of PHV, the department said in a statement, while live fish that were examined had varied levels of the virus.
    — Michelle Gumede, Los Angeles Times, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of varied
Adjective
  • Brightly colored and casual beach attire is a no-fail way to get flagged as a vulnerable tourist while abroad.
    — Amelia McBride, Travel + Leisure, 2 Sep. 2026
  • The brand, designed by Vincenzo Castaldo, is known for its vibrant colored gemstone jewels, chunky gold designs and bold, unconventional volumes.
    — Luisa Zargani, Footwear News, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of colored
Noun
  • But my favorite Tim Curry performance will always be Pennywise, the clown in Tommy Lee Wallace’s 1990 miniseries adaptation of Stephen King’s It, which, compared to Andy Muschietti’s mega popular pair of films, is modest, even a little lame.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Curry, who died Tuesday at 80, made a gleefully evil turn as a clown that sparked nightmares for legions of Gen X and millennial viewers that continue to haunt to this day.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of clown
Noun
  • Arches and natural bridges sweep like buttresses from jumbles of rock, giving this landscape a mystical, cathedral-like quality.
    — Madison Chapman, Outside, 25 Mar. 2026
  • Macaroons are chewy jumbles of coconut bound together with egg whites and sweetened condensed milk.
    — Lynda Balslev, Mercury News, 10 Feb. 2026
Definition of jumble

Browse Nearby Words

motivity
motley
motleys
See all Nearby Words

Podcast

Cite this Entry

“Motley.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/motley. Accessed 6 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 4
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
anagrams on a chalk board
Word Builder Quiz Vol. 2 Pick the letter that when added to a word will ma...
See All