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,” 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.
This would often include going into harsh, confined and sparse habitats across the globe - including in Sardinian caves, the planes of Antartica or even in the sea near Florida.
From BBC • Apr. 9, 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
European and U.K. economic data will be somewhat sparse as most markets are closed on Monday for the Easter holiday.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026
The post included an animated map of sparse maritime traffic traveling through the waterway.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 24, 2026
The riverbed wound its way through high-standing firs and tattered alders, but after a little time the embankment fell away and a sparse forest became their only cover.
From "The Black Cauldron" by Lloyd Alexander
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.
