flimsy

American  

[flim-zee] / ˈflɪm zi /

adjective

flimsier, flimsiest

1. without material strength or solidity.

   a flimsy fabric; a flimsy structure.

   Synonyms:

   unsteady, unstable, weak, shoddy

   Antonyms:

   sturdy

2. weak; inadequate; not effective or convincing.

   a flimsy excuse.

   Synonyms:

   vague, lame, unconvincing

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noun

plural

flimsies

1. a thin kind of paper, especially for use in making several copies at a time of an article, telegraphic dispatch, or the like, as in newspaper work.

2. a copy of a report or dispatch on such paper.

flimsy British  

/ ˈflɪmzɪ /

adjective

1. not strong or substantial; fragile

   a flimsy building

2. light and thin

   a flimsy dress

3. unconvincing or inadequate; weak

   a flimsy excuse

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noun

1. thin paper used for making carbon copies of a letter, etc

2. a copy made on such paper

3. a slang word for banknote

Other Word Forms

• flimsily adverb
• flimsiness noun

Etymology

Origin of flimsy

1695–1705; flim- (perhaps metathetic variant of film ) + -sy

Explanation

You can describe weak, thin, and fragile things as flimsy. Onion smells are strong, onion skins are flimsy. Blaming onions for making you cry during a sad movie, that's a flimsy excuse, when there are no onions in the theater. A flimsy object and a flimsy objection or excuse are both without weight and are easy to knock down. You can see right through a flimsy curtain, and you can see right through a flimsy lie. If a tent or house of cards is flimsy, it will fall down with a slight breeze, and if your story isn't convincing anyone, it's probably weak and flimsy enough to flatten, too.

Example Sentences

Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, Stanley Tucci and Emily Blunt reprise their roles from the 2006 comedy in this flimsy fashion-world sequel.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 29, 2026

Some have rejected the film as flimsy satire; others have wanted its message to be edgier and more obvious.

From Salon • Apr. 9, 2026

When we approached our PBM about distributing the discounted version, the team refused, citing every flimsy excuse it could muster.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 7, 2026

The Syrian foreign ministry denounced the attack as "an outrageous assault on Syria's sovereignty and territorial integrity" and called Israel's justification "flimsy pretexts and fabricated excuses".

From BBC • Mar. 20, 2026

Then, near the bottom of the first sack, William saw a strange book—it looked beat-up and flimsy, as if made not in a monastery but by some amateur hand.

From "The Inquisitor's Tale" by Adam Gidwitz

Related Words

• chiffon
• decrepit
• feeble
• insubstantial
• rickety
• shaky
• tacky