sparse

1 of 2

adjective

ˈspärs 

sparser; sparsest

: of few and scattered elements

especially : not thickly grown or settled

sparsely adverb

sparseness noun

sparsity

ˈspär-sə-tē 

-stē

noun

sparseness

2 of 2

noun

sparse·​ness

plural -es

: the quality or state of being sparse

Synonyms of sparse

Adjective

• scarce

Choose the Right Synonym for sparse

meager, scanty, scant, skimpy, spare, sparse mean falling short of what is normal, necessary, or desirable.

meager implies the absence of elements, qualities, or numbers necessary to a thing's richness, substance, or potency.

a meager portion of meat

scanty stresses insufficiency in amount, quantity, or extent.

supplies too scanty to last the winter

scant suggests a falling short of what is desired or desirable rather than of what is essential.

in January the daylight hours are scant

skimpy usually suggests niggardliness or penury as the cause of the deficiency.

tacky housing developments on skimpy lots

spare may suggest a slight falling short of adequacy or merely an absence of superfluity.

a spare, concise style of writing

sparse implies a thin scattering of units.

a sparse population

Examples of sparse in a Sentence

Adjective

open land is sparse around here

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

And the deals extend well beyond skin care, with discounts on hair and makeup products that address everything from early signs of thinning hair and sparse brows to dull complexions in need of a natural-looking flush. — Christa Joanna Lee, Allure, 23 June 2026

Those that were at Fan Fest were sparse and tucked away in a low-traffic area. — Aj Willingham, AJC.com, 23 June 2026

In the stage-show memoir the movie keeps cutting to, Asher, now in his early eighties, with sparse red hair and tortoise-shell glasses, describes all of this in his mild and menschy way. — Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 21 June 2026

The menu at Ardys’ food truck is rather sparse compared to its restaurant in Philippine Cultural Center, but the truck could arguably sell just one item and still do just fine. — Usa Today Network, USA Today, 19 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Latin sparsus spread out, from past participle of spargere to scatter — more at spark

First Known Use

Adjective

1753, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for sparse

• arse
• carse
• farce
• marse
• parse

Kids Definition

sparse

adjective

ˈspärs 

sparser; sparsest

: of few and scattered elements

especially : not thickly grown or settled

sparsely adverb

sparseness noun

sparsity

ˈspär-sət-ē 

noun