sparse

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

Synonyms of sparse

• 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

open land is sparse around here

Recent Examples on the Web

His Latin came only by official requirement, his English was sparse; a native Flemish speaker, even his French was stilted. — Literary Hub, 20 July 2026

The match coincided with the World Cup third-place game between England and France, which could help explain the sparse turnout. — Christian Babcock, Mercury News, 18 July 2026

And this was despite the accommodations being fairly sparse, with limited concession stands and portable bathrooms needing to be brought in. — Jordan Bianchi, New York Times, 16 July 2026

Traffic through the strait has been sparse since March but showed slight recovery during the roughly three weeks that a ceasefire lasted between the United States and Iran. — Erin Mansfield, USA Today, 15 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

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