1.
mottled; spotted; speckled
A pattern of irregular spots or patches of different colors. Describes something with an uneven mix of colors or shades.
2.
uneven; inconsistent; patchy
Used figuratively to describe something that is inconsistent or uneven in quality, distribution, or degree.
Can be written in kanji as 斑, but the kana form is more common. Functions as a noun and as a modifier (まだらの or まだらな). The word can also be used adverbially with に (まだらに).
Common collocations
- まだら模様 — mottled/spotted pattern
- まだらに染まる — to be dyed unevenly
- 記憶がまだら — patchy memory
- まだらに残る — to remain in patches
Similar words
- 縞 — stripes; a regular pattern of parallel lines, unlike the irregular spots of まだら
- 水玉 — polka dots; regular, uniform round spots, unlike the irregular patches of まだら
- ぶち — patches of color on an animal's coat; similar to まだら but used almost exclusively for animal markings
- むら — unevenness, inconsistency; overlaps with sense 2 but focuses on quality variation rather than visual pattern