sparse

[ spahrs ]
/ spɑrs /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR sparse ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective, spars·er, spars·est.

thinly scattered or distributed: a sparse population.
not thick or dense; thin: sparse hair.
scanty; meager.

Origin of sparse

1715–25; < Latin sparsus, past participle of spargere to scatter, sparge

SYNONYMS FOR sparse

1–3 See scanty.
SEE SYNONYMS FOR sparse ON THESAURUS.COM

OTHER WORDS FROM sparse

Words nearby sparse

sparrow hawk, sparrowfart, sparrowgrass, sparrowhawk, sparry, sparse, sparta, spartacist, spartacus, spartan, spartanburg

Words related to sparsely

easily, delicately, casually, tenderly, moderately, gingerly, softly, simply, mildly, freely, quietly, slightly, faintly, subtly, comparatively, practically, seldom, barely, somewhat, rarely

British Dictionary definitions for sparsely

sparse
/ (spɑːs) /

adjective

scattered or scanty; not dense

Derived forms of sparse

sparsely, adverb sparseness or sparsity, noun

Word Origin for sparse

C18: from Latin sparsus, from spargere to scatter