adjective
Synonym Usage
See scanty.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Adjectives
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
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Where the Red Fern Grows
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Beowulf: A New Telling
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
See Examples For:
Lower readings indicate more sparse or stressed vegetation.
From BBC ● Aug. 15, 2026
Mushroom Culture said he earns up to 50% less at River Farmers’ Market compared with sales at other L.A. farmers markets due to sparse foot traffic.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 4, 2026
A "Great American State Fair" in the capital designed as a celebration of the country's birthday has drawn sparse crowds and widespread mockery for its empty booths.
From Barron's ● Jul. 3, 2026
Bird flu cases have largely subsided in recent months and are sparse in the summer months.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 30, 2026
She didn’t want to cut some off when they were so sparse to begin with.
From Anya and the Nightingale by Sofiya Pasternack
The path of totality of the Aug. 12 solar eclipse will sweep across much of Spain, but Basque Country, in the north, is our pick for sparser crowds and plenty to do.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 20, 2025
However, Williams said, there are important differences between regions where fires erupt in forests with abundant vegetation fuel and regions like Southern California, where fires often burn through sparser shrubs and grasses.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 16, 2025
In contrast to conventional computing where every part of the system is always on and available to communicate with any other part all the time, activation in neuromorphic computing can be sparser.
From BBC ● Jun. 17, 2024
While experts had previously speculated that Gigantopithecus was driven to extinction as their preferred forest habitats became sparser, the known fossils of the ape lacked defined dates to test the idea.
From National Geographic ● Jan. 10, 2024
The tourists and merchers liked to keep to well-lit thoroughfares, so the foot traffic here was sparser, and he made better time.
From "Six of Crows" by Leigh Bardugo
In this case, the error is making a call based on the sparsest of evidence.
From Scientific American ● Oct. 15, 2021
There is the couple with two daughters, known until recently by only the sparsest of details: They’d moved into the big house that replaced the old house that was razed after its original owner died.
From New York Times ● May 1, 2020
At the National September 11 Memorial and Museum, security officers reported some of the sparsest crowds they’ve seen as they prepared to shutter the popular museum Friday.
From Washington Times ● Mar. 13, 2020
That said, the rest of the freestyle – which lasts nearly eight minutes, set to the sparsest of backings – has little or nothing to do with Trump.
From The Guardian ● Oct. 20, 2016
It’s the sparsest bed I’ve ever seen: small and pale yellow with a sheet, a topsheet, and one pillow.
From "It’s Kind of a Funny Story" by Ned Vizzini
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.
