sparse

[ spahrs ]

adjective

, spars·er, spars·est.

1. thinly scattered or distributed:

   a sparse population.

   Antonyms: abundant

2. not thick or dense; thin:

   sparse hair.

   Antonyms: abundant

3. scanty; meager.

   Antonyms: abundant

sparse

/ spɑːs /

adjective

1. scattered or scanty; not dense

Derived Forms

• ˈsparsely, adverb
• ˈsparseness, noun

Other Words From

• sparse·ly adverb
• spar·si·ty [spahr, -si-tee], sparse·ness noun
• un·sparse adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of sparse¹

First recorded in 1715–25; from Latin sparsus, past participle of spargere “to scatter,” sparge

Word History and Origins

Origin of sparse¹

C18: from Latin sparsus, from spargere to scatter

Synonym Study

See scanty.

Example Sentences

Crusius, 21 years old, with wavy dark brown hair, sparse stubble collecting on his round chin, was awkward and introverted.

From Salon

The boos from the sparse crowd at the Intuit Dome rained down on George all game because he now was a Philadelphia 76er.

From Los Angeles Times

Saving a patient requires removing the sparse toxic metals from the body with more than surgical precision, while leaving the abundant life-sustaining nutrients intact.

From Los Angeles Times

Trump has also been sparse on details about transportation — his website doesn’t address the issue except to decry Chinese ownership.

From Salon

Trump and his surrogates have offered sparse details for how he would carry out the “largest deportation operation in American history,” but have cemented the goal as a top priority.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• inadequate
• infrequent
• meager
• scant
• scanty
• scarce
• skimpy
• sporadic
• thin