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.
She said district communication had been sparse so far — “no call, no text, no email” — and fretted about missing work at Sweetgreen, the fast-casual chain restaurant where she makes salads.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 10, 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
And even though the New Testament provides fairly sparse information about her, she certainly makes sense as the subject of an Easter-oriented edition of the series.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 26, 2026
The post included an animated map of sparse maritime traffic traveling through the waterway.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 24, 2026
The furnishings were sparse: a narrow bed, a rickety nightstand, and a secondhand trunk for clothes and books.
From "Beasts of Prey" by Ayana Gray
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.
