adjective
Related Words
See scanty.
Other Word Forms
- sparsely adverb
- sparseness noun
- sparsity noun
- unsparse adjective
Etymology
Origin of sparse
First recorded in 1715–25; from Latin sparsus, past participle of spargere “to scatter,” see sparge
Explanation
Something that’s sparse is thin, not dense. If you’re looking for the perfect place to build a tree house, a sparse forest is probably not your best bet. From the Latin sparsus, meaning “scattered,” we get the adjective sparse, which means “few and scattered.” Thinning hair is sparse, as is the population of an endangered species. Or a small and scattered crowd for an unpopular band. Synonyms include dispersed, infrequent, and scanty. Antonyms, on the other hand, include full, lush, and plentiful.
Vocabulary lists containing sparse
List 1
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Where the Red Fern Grows
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Beowulf: A New Telling
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
He has portrayed the current sparse intra-party discussion related to Israel as major progress.
From Salon • Apr. 20, 2026
Soon enough, trees everywhere were showing blotchy, mottled, yellowed leaves and suffering from twig dieback and sparse foliage.
From Slate • Apr. 20, 2026
“Look at me,” he jested, pulling off his cap to reveal sparse pearly fuzz.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 14, 2026
"What makes this question so hard to answer is that direct observations are very sparse in northern Alaska," says Rawlins, extension associate professor of Earth, Geographic, and Climate Sciences at UMass Amherst.
From Science Daily • Apr. 4, 2026
The church had been decorated, with sparse flowers from kitchen gardens and hedgerows, and with streamers of colored crepe paper.
From "The Sound and the Fury" by William Faulkner
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
