Scattered

As an Adjective

1. Spread or dispersed in different directions (e.g., papers were scattered across the desk).
2. Occurring irregularly or in various places (e.g., scattered showers throughout the day).
3. Disorganized or unfocused (e.g., his thoughts were too scattered to concentrate).

As a Verb (Past Tense of Scatter)

1. To spread or throw things in different directions (e.g., she scattered the seeds in the garden).
2. To disperse or move apart quickly (e.g., the crowd scattered when it started raining).

Word History

The word scattered comes from the Old English sceaterian, meaning “to disperse or sprinkle.” It originally referred to spreading objects but later expanded to describe irregular distribution and lack of focus.

Examples

1. Her clothes were scattered all over the floor.
2. Scattered thunderstorms are expected this evening.
3. His scattered mind made it hard to focus on the exam.
4. The birds scattered when the dog ran toward them.

Synonyms

Dispersed, spread out, irregular, unfocused, disorganized

Related Words

Sprinkled, distributed, fragmented, messy, chaotic

Antonyms

Gathered, concentrated, organized, collected, unified