Spot — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

noun verb adjective /ˈspät/

Meaning & Definition of Spot

Spot (noun)

  1. a taint on character or reputation, fault
  2. a small area visibly different (as in color, finish, or material) from the surrounding area
  3. an area marred or marked (as by dirt)

Spot (verb)

  1. to stain the character or reputation of, disgrace
  2. to mark in or with a spot, stain
  3. to locate or identify by a spot

Spot (adjective)

  1. being, originating, or done on the spot or in or for a particular spot
  2. available for immediate delivery after sale
  3. paid out upon delivery

Spot (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. a small area that is different (as in color) from the main part

    "in summer the white coat of the snow leopard is studded with brownish black spots"

    similar: blotch, dapple, dot, eyespot, fleck, mottle, patch, pip, point, speck, speckle, splotch
    related: birthmark, freckle, mole, blob, blot, mark, smear, smudge, smutch, stain, spatter, splash, polka dot

  2. a difficult, puzzling, or embarrassing situation from which there is no easy escape

    "we're in a bit of a spot right now with our mortgage payments"

    similar: bind, box, catch-22, corner, dilemma, fix, hole, impasse, jackpot (chiefly West), jam, mire, pickle, predicament, quagmire, rabbit hole, rattrap, sticky wicket, swamp, kettle of fish
    related: difficulty, node, hot water, soup, pinch, plight, quandary, scrape, trouble, deadlock, halt, logjam, stalemate, standstill, clutch, crisis, crossroad, emergency, exigency, juncture, strait

  3. a mark of guilt or disgrace

    "scandalous conduct that will forever be a spot upon the family name"

    similar: blot, brand, onus, slur, smirch, smudge, stain, stigma, taint
    related: black eye, discredit, disesteem, disgrace, dishonor, disrepute, guilt, ignominy, infamy, obloquy, odium, opprobrium, reproach, shame, corruption, debauchery, depravity, immorality, iniquity, licentiousness, sin, unscrupulousness, vice
    near: award, credit, honor, chasteness, chastity, modesty, purity, stainlessness, good, right, honesty, integrity, legitimacy, probity, rectitude, scrupulousness, uprightness, goodness, righteousness, virtuousness, fame, glory, renown, repute

  4. a very small amount

    "had only a spot of stew for dinner, as he wasn't very hungry"

    similar: ace, bit, crumb, dab, dram, driblet, glimmer, hint, lick, little, mite, nip, ounce, particle, peanuts, ray, scintilla, scruple, shade, shadow, shred, skosh, smack, smell, smidgen, snap, soupçon, spark, spatter, speck, splash, sprinkling, strain, streak, suspicion, tad, touch, trace, drop in the bucket
    related: hoot, iota, jot, minim, minimum, modicum, semblance, syllable, tittle, vestige, whit, atom, dot, fleck, flyspeck, grain, granule, molecule, morsel, mote, nubbin, patch, scrap, dash, drop, pinch, part, portion, section, bite, nibble, taste, handful, scattering, smatter, smattering, dose, shot, chip, flake, fragment, shard, shiver, sliver, smithereens, splinter, tatter, clipping, paring, shaving
    near: abundance, barrel, boatload, bucket, bundle, bushel, deal, fistful, gobs, heaps, lashings (chiefly British), loads, lot, mass, mess, mountain, much, oodles, passel, peck, pile, plenty, potful, profusion, quantity, raft, reams, scads, stack, wad, wealth, volume, bonanza, embarrassment, excess, overabundance, overage, overflow, overkill, overmuch, oversupply, superabundance, superfluity, surfeit, surplus, chunk, hunk, lump, slab

  5. the area or space occupied by or intended for something

    "the cat grabbed my spot on the couch the minute I stood up"

    similar: emplacement, locale, locality, location, locus, place, point, position, site, venue, where
    related: scene, precinct, region, section, sector, here, there

Spot (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to mark with small spots especially unevenly

    "to give the effect of sunlight on water, the artist spotted the lake in his painting with flecks of gold paint"

    similar: blotch, dapple, dot, fleck, freckle, marble, mottle, pepper, shoot, speck, speckle, splotch, sprinkle, stipple
    related: blot, dye, stain, band, bar, streak, stripe, intersperse, set, stud, bespatter, spatter

  2. to make note of (something) through the use of one's eyes

    "I spotted both of them as they tried to sneak out the back door"

    similar: behold, catch, descry, discern, distinguish, espy, eye, look (at), note, notice, observe, perceive, regard, remark, see, sight, spy, view, witness, get a load of (slang), lay eyes on, set eyes on
    related: identify, make out, pick out, pick up, attend (to), consider, heed, mark, mind, study, watch, examine, inspect, scan, scrutinize, survey, glance (at), glimpse, peer (at)
    near: disregard, ignore, neglect, overpass, pass over, miss, overlook

  3. to cover by or as if by scattering something over or on

    "the TV networks had spotted reporters all over the state for the election"

    similar: bestrew, dot, pepper, scatter, sow, spray, sprinkle, strew
    related: blanket, drizzle, dust, stud, dapple, fleck, speckle, stipple, bespatter, spatter

Spot (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. as in odd, irregular

    similar: irregular, odd, sporadic, scattershot, shotgun, directionless, objectless, purposeless, accidental, casual, chance, chancy, contingent, fluky, fortuitous, inadvertent, incidental, lucky, unconsidered, unintended, unintentional, unplanned, unpremeditated, indiscriminate, unsystematic, aimless, arbitrary, catch-as-catch-can, desultory, erratic, haphazard, helter-skelter, hit-or-miss, random, scattered, slapdash, stray, undirected, disorderly, disorganized, undiscriminating, unselective
    opposite: methodical, nonrandom, orderly, organized, regular, systematic, systematized, established, fixed, set, stable, steady, constant, continuous, even, arranged, managed, orchestrated, ordered, planned, aware, conscious, deliberate, purposeful, thoughtful, willful

Related Entry: Spot-on (adjective)

Spot-on is a different word from Spot. The synonyms below are for spot-on, not for spot.

  1. being in agreement with the truth or a fact or a standard

    "for an inside mount for window blinds, your measurements had better be spot-on"

    similar: accurate, bang on (chiefly British), correct, dead-on, exact, good, on-target, precise, proper, right, so, true, veracious, on target, on the money
    related: legitimate, logical, sound, valid, errorless, faultless, flawless, impeccable, inerrant, infallible, letter-perfect, perfect, rigorous, strict, stringent
    opposite: false, improper, inaccurate, incorrect, inexact, off, untrue, wrong
    near: defective, faulty, flawed, imperfect

  2. meeting the highest standard of accuracy

    "a spot-on prediction of the movie's gross on its opening weekend"

    similar: accurate, close, delicate, exact, fine, hairline, mathematical, pinpoint, precise, refined, rigorous
    related: correct, right, strict, true, definite, definitive, nice, subtle, careful, fastidious, finical, finicky, meticulous
    opposite: coarse, imprecise, inaccurate, inexact, rough
    near: approximate, round, false, incorrect, untrue, wrong, careless, loose, indefinite, unclear, vague, doubtful, dubious, questionable, unreliable, untrustworthy

Related Entry: Soft spot (noun)

Soft spot is a different word from Spot. The synonyms below are for soft spot, not for spot.

  1. a vulnerable point

    "a huge trade imbalance continued to be the soft spot in the nation's economy"

    similar: Achilles' heel, back, chink, jugular, underbelly
    related: downfall, ruin, undoing, hamartia, tragic flaw

Related Entry: Have a soft spot for (phrase)

Have a soft spot for is a different word from Spot. The synonyms below are for have a soft spot for, not for spot.

  1. to take pleasure in

    "A lifelong fan, she still has a soft spot for the Beatles."

    similar: adore, delight (in), dig, enjoy, fancy, get off (on), groove (on), like, love, rejoice (in), relish, revel (in), savor, be partial to, get a kick out of, go for, take to
    related: admire, appreciate, cherish, revere, venerate, worship, prize, treasure, value, devour, drink (in), eat (up), feast (on), dote (on), idolize, cotton (to), favor, prefer, indulge (in), luxuriate (in), wallow (in)
    near: abhor, abominate, detest, dislike, hate, loathe, condemn, despise, scorn

Related Entry: On the spot (phrase)

On the spot is a different word from Spot. The synonyms below are for on the spot, not for spot.

  1. without delay

    "After the interview they hired her on the spot."

    similar: bang, directly, forthwith, headlong, immediately, incontinently, instantaneously, instanter, instantly, now, PDQ, plumb, presently, promptly, pronto, right, right away, right now, right off, straightaway, straight off, straightway, at once, in no time, off the bat, on a dime, on the double
    related: away, freely, anon, momentarily, shortly, soon, apace, briskly, fast, fleetly, full-tilt, posthaste, quick, quickly, rapidly, readily, snappily, speedily, swift, swiftly, abruptly, presto, suddenly, unexpectedly, hastily, impetuously, impulsively, rashly, recklessly, exactly, opportunely, punctually, seasonably
    near: slowly, late, tardily

Related Entry: Hot spot (noun)

Hot spot is a different word from Spot. The synonyms below are for hot spot, not for spot.

  1. as in playground, happy hunting ground

    similar: happy hunting ground, hive, hotbed, playground, playland, headquarters, kernel, nub, pith, axis, base, capital, center, central, core, cynosure, epicenter, eye, focus, ground zero, heart, hub, locus, mecca, navel, nerve center, nexus, nucleus, omphalos, seat, deep, thick, essence, quintessence, soul, attraction, lodestone, magnet, polestar

Related Entry: Had a soft spot for (phrase)

Had a soft spot for is a different word from Spot. The synonyms below are for had a soft spot for, not for spot.

  1. to take pleasure in

    "A lifelong fan, she still has a soft spot for the Beatles."

    similar: adored, delighted (in), dug, enjoyed, fancied, got off (on), grooved (on), liked, loved, rejoiced (in), relished, reveled (in), savored, got a kick out of, took to, was partial to, went for
    related: admired, appreciated, cherished, revered, venerated, worshipped, prized, treasured, valued, ate (up), devoured, drank (in), feasted (on), doted (on), idolized, cottoned (to), favored, preferred, indulged (in), luxuriated (in), wallowed (in)
    near: abhorred, abominated, detested, disliked, hated, loathed, condemned, despised, scorned

Related Entry: Has a soft spot for (phrase)

Has a soft spot for is a different word from Spot. The synonyms below are for has a soft spot for, not for spot.

  1. to take pleasure in

    "A lifelong fan, she still has a soft spot for the Beatles."

    similar: adores, delights (in), digs, enjoys, fancies, gets off (on), grooves (on), likes, loves, rejoices (in), relishes, revels (in), savors, gets a kick out of, goes for, is partial to, takes to
    related: admires, appreciates, cherishes, reveres, venerates, worships, prizes, treasures, values, devours, drinks (in), eats (up), feasts (on), dotes (on), idolizes, cottons (to), favors, prefers, indulges (in), luxuriates (in), wallows (in)
    near: abhors, abominates, detests, dislikes, hates, loathes, condemns, despises, scorns

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Spot

The most common words with a similar meaning to Spot:

Chiefly West: jackpot
Slang: get a load of
blotch, dapple, dot, eyespot, fleck, mottle, patch, pip, point, speck, speckle, splotch, bind, box, catch-22, corner, dilemma, fix, hole, impasse, jam, mire, pickle, predicament, quagmire, rabbit hole, rattrap, sticky wicket, swamp, blot, brand, onus, slur, smirch, smudge, stain, stigma, taint, ace, bit

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Spot

Words with the opposite meaning of Spot:

methodical, nonrandom, orderly, organized, regular, systematic, systematized, established, fixed, set, stable, steady, constant, continuous, even, arranged, managed, orchestrated, ordered, planned, aware, conscious, deliberate, purposeful, thoughtful, willful

Related Words for Spot

birthmark, mole, blob, mark, smear, smutch, polka dot, difficulty, node, hot water, soup, pinch, plight, quandary, scrape, trouble, deadlock, halt, logjam, stalemate, standstill, clutch, crisis, crossroad, emergency, exigency, juncture, strait, black eye, discredit

Near Antonyms of Spot

award, credit, honor, chasteness, chastity, modesty, purity, stainlessness, good, right, honesty, integrity, legitimacy, probity, rectitude, scrupulousness, uprightness, goodness, righteousness, virtuousness, fame, glory, renown, repute, abundance, barrel, boatload, bucket, bundle, bushel

Word Forms of Spot

Inflections: spotted, spotting

Derived words: spottable (adjective)

Origin & Etymology of Spot

Middle English; akin to Middle Dutch spotte stain, speck, Old Norse spotti small piece

First known use: before 12th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Spot

Words & Phrases Containing Spot

spot-check, spot-on, spot pass, spot test, beauty spot, black spot, blind spot

Frequently Asked Questions about Spot

What does "Spot" mean?

"Spot" means a taint on character or reputation, fault. As an a noun, a verb and an adjective, it is defined as: a taint on character or reputation, fault. It has 9 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Spot"?

Other words for "Spot" include blotch, dapple, dot, eyespot, fleck, mottle, patch and pip. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Spot" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Spot"?

There are 295 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Spot". Common alternatives include blotch, dapple, dot, eyespot, fleck, mottle, patch, pip, point and speck.

What is the opposite of "Spot"?

Antonyms of "Spot" include methodical, nonrandom, orderly, organized, regular, systematic, systematized and established. Near antonyms include award, credit, honor and chasteness.

How do you use "Spot" in a sentence?

Examples of "Spot" in a sentence: "in summer the white coat of the snow leopard is studded with brownish black spots"; "we're in a bit of a spot right now with our mortgage payments"; "scandalous conduct that will forever be a spot upon the family name".

Is "Spot" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Spot" can be used as a noun, a verb and an adjective, depending on the context.

Is "Spot" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As a B1-level word, "Spot" is typical of Cambridge B1 Preliminary (PET), IELTS band 4.0–5.0, TOEFL iBT 42–71, PTE Academic 43–58, TOEIC Listening & Reading 550+.

How do you pronounce "Spot"?

"Spot" is pronounced /ˈspät/.