motley
motley Lexical Profile
motley Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
Incongruously varied in appearance or character; consisting of an assorted, heterogeneous mix of elements.
"A motley crew of volunteers from every walk of life gathered at the community center to help rebuild the park."
Made up of many different colors; multicolored or parti-colored.
"The performer wore a motley coat stitched together from bright patches of red, yellow, and emerald silk."
• noun
An incongruous mixture or heterogeneous assortment of different people or things.
"The antique shop's front window displayed a fascinating motley of brass instruments, porcelain dolls, and vintage clocks."
The traditional multicolored costume worn by a court jester or harlequin.
"Dressed in traditional motley with bells on his cap, the actor bounded onto the stage to open the Shakespearean comedy."
• Rhymes for motley
Word Origin & Etymology
Originating in Middle English, likely from Anglo-Norman, the word initially referred to a cloth of mixed colors worn as a distinctive livery by court jesters before broadening to describe any incongruous assortment.