littered

USAGE SUMMARY

'littered' is a correct and usable word in written English.
It is an adjective form of the verb 'to litter', which means 'to scatter or spread (things) about carelessly or randomly'. Example sentence: "The side of the road was littered with fast food wrappers and plastic bags."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

It is now beyond doubt that by the early 1990s the British state had agents littered all over the most effective paramilitary movement in the western world – the Provisional IRA.

The Guardian

The opaque state lobby registers, together with the Federal register, are littered with former government staffers, high ranking political advisors and former politicians whose experience is now being put to good use by the resources and energy majors.

The Guardian

The trenches were littered with the detritus of war – bullet casings, scraps of uniform and empty food tins.

The Guardian

Carr described that period for the ALP as playing out a "Jacobean revenge drama: in one act the knife is flashing, the blood is flowing, the next act that's got to be avenged, the next act he's smoldering with hatred, the final act the stage is littered with gasping corpses".

The Guardian - Books

Used since prehistoric times as part of the route between the Dorset and Norfolk coasts, it is littered with historical sites dating back to the iron age.

The Guardian - Travel

Conservative history is littered with Tebbit-like moments and much worse.

The Guardian - Opinion

She called her images her "cast of characters", and she deployed them on polymer printing plates and in paper chains of sheets collaged with selected cut-out figures, her "paper dolls", that littered the studio and stretched into enormous scrolls.

The Guardian - Arts

Movie history is littered with the corpses of hopelessly mismatched buddy films, and Kutcher and Bieber will have to go over and above the call of duty if they even want to breathe the same air as some of the worst.

The Guardian - Film

Besides, he adds, the history of entertainment is littered with white guys who told black stories, and white singers who sang black songs.

The Guardian - Film

He certainly was enough of an inside player to have done it, with a past littered with incidents of Malay chauvinism, pandering to conservative Islam and political ambition that westerners who seek to make him a liberal saint conveniently forget.

The Guardian - Opinion

Mainstream politics is littered with such train wrecks, but mainstream parties in our kind of first-past-the-post system are usually strong enough to absorb or reject charismatic, but disruptive insurgents.

The Guardian

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "littered" to vividly describe a surface or area that is covered with a noticeable amount of scattered items, creating a specific image for the reader.

Common error

Avoid using "littered" excessively in formal or academic writing; consider more precise vocabulary like "strewn", "covered", or "scattered" to maintain a professional tone.

Linguistic Context

The primary grammatical function of "littered" is as a past participle used as an adjective. It describes a noun by indicating that it is covered or scattered with something. This is consistent with Ludwig AI's analysis.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

85%

Science

5%

Formal & Business

3%

Less common in

Academia

2%

Encyclopedias

2%

Wiki

1%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the term "littered" functions primarily as an adjective, describing something covered with scattered items. As confirmed by Ludwig AI, it is grammatically correct and very common, particularly within news and media contexts. While generally neutral in tone, it's advisable to consider more precise synonyms like "strewn", "covered", or "scattered" in formal writing to enhance clarity. The phrase vividly depicts a scene covered in scattered items, emphasizing disorder or abundance. Usage tips include leveraging its descriptive power to create vivid imagery, while being mindful of its appropriateness in formal writing.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

strewn with

Replaces "littered" with a synonym that suggests a more scattered distribution.

scattered with

Similar to "strewn", but may suggest a less even distribution.

covered in

Uses a more general term for being overlaid by something.

filled with

Indicates a state of being occupied or full of something, often implying a dense presence.

overrun with

Implies a negative connotation, suggesting an excessive and unwanted presence.

carpeted with

Suggests an even layer covering a surface.

rife with

Implies a widespread and often undesirable presence.

abounding in

Suggests a plentiful or abundant presence.

populated by

Suggests an inhabited space, often used for living beings rather than objects.

beset by

Indicates a situation afflicted or troubled by something.

FAQs

How can I use "littered" in a sentence?

You can use "littered" to describe a place covered with scattered items, for example, "The beach was littered with seashells".

What are some alternatives to "littered"?

Alternatives include "strewn with", "covered in", or "scattered with", depending on the specific nuance you want to convey.

Is it correct to say something is "littered by" or "littered with"?

While "littered by" can be grammatically correct in some contexts, "littered with" is the more common and generally preferred construction.

What is the difference between "littered" and "strewn"?

"Littered" often implies a more disorganized or unwanted scattering, while "strewn" can suggest a more deliberate or aesthetically pleasing arrangement.