flimsier; flimsiest
1
a
: lacking in physical strength or substance
flimsy silks
wore a flimsy dress
b
: of inferior materials and workmanship
flimsy construction
2
: having little worth or plausibility
a flimsy excuse
a movie with a flimsy plot
plural flimsies
chiefly British
: a lightweight paper used especially for multiple copies
also
: a document printed on flimsy
Synonyms
Examples of flimsy in a Sentence
Adjective
a flimsy piece of material
They have only the flimsiest of evidence against him.
a movie with a flimsy plot
Recent Examples on the Web
Ed Brzytwa, Fortune, 15 Apr. 2024
Oftentimes slides are pretty flimsy and don’t provide enough support, but Chaco is celebrated as a brand that makes slides designed for rough-and-tumble activities.
—Olivia Avitt, Peoplemag, 12 Apr. 2024
Garland’s violent fantasy is too flimsy to be a cautionary tale.
—Armond White, National Review, 12 Apr. 2024
Makeshift tents constructed with large wooden poles covered in plastic sheeting are too flimsy to withstand winter weather.
—Mohammad Al Sawalhi, CNN, 7 Apr. 2024
Here, a bit more willing suspension of disbelief is required, particularly for a scene where Tom dons a flimsy disguise to speak with someone who has met him several times and should recognize him, regardless.
—Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 4 Apr. 2024
It’s made from a French Terry knit that has the perfect combination of comfort and heft—not too stiff, not too flimsy, but just right.
—Todd Plummer, Condé Nast Traveler, 19 Mar. 2024
According to the brand, the pre-seasoned coating is just oil that’s been baked into the skillet — unlike other nonstick pans that use toxic chemicals or flimsy coatings to achieve the same effect.
—Clara McMahon, Peoplemag, 15 Mar. 2024
Monica's defense attorneys have challenged this testimony as flimsy and misinterpreted, insisting the prosecutor has not established that divorce troubled Monica.
—Greg Fisher, CBS News, 14 Mar. 2024
Washington Post, 22 Apr. 2022
Few party regulars care to talk about the flimsy to nonexistent ethics that guide their fundraising.
—Michael Sokolove, The New Republic, 14 Feb. 2022
The Reform’s build quality is an odd mix of flimsy and tank-like.
—Andrew Cunningham, Ars Technica, 31 Jan. 2022
All of their products, the flimsy and the more substantial, seemed to float by at various levels.
—Washington Post, 12 Sep. 2021
That’s a lot of money for a toaster, and especially a toaster that looks this flimsy.
—Erik Kain, Forbes, 18 June 2021
Defense lawyers have criticized evidence against the father and son as flimsy and based on hearsay and speculation.
—Stephanie Pagones, Fox News, 23 Apr. 2021
Before anyone had a chance to digest the flimsy-at-best basis for many of the pardons, Trump unexpectedly made another announcement.
—John Cassidy, The New Yorker, 23 Dec. 2020
Adjective
The justification for this abrupt policy reversal is flimsy at best.
—Ed Brzytwa, Fortune, 15 Apr. 2024
Oftentimes slides are pretty flimsy and don’t provide enough support, but Chaco is celebrated as a brand that makes slides designed for rough-and-tumble activities.
—Olivia Avitt, Peoplemag, 12 Apr. 2024
Garland’s violent fantasy is too flimsy to be a cautionary tale.
—Armond White, National Review, 12 Apr. 2024
Makeshift tents constructed with large wooden poles covered in plastic sheeting are too flimsy to withstand winter weather.
—Mohammad Al Sawalhi, CNN, 7 Apr. 2024
Here, a bit more willing suspension of disbelief is required, particularly for a scene where Tom dons a flimsy disguise to speak with someone who has met him several times and should recognize him, regardless.
—Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 4 Apr. 2024
It’s made from a French Terry knit that has the perfect combination of comfort and heft—not too stiff, not too flimsy, but just right.
—Todd Plummer, Condé Nast Traveler, 19 Mar. 2024
According to the brand, the pre-seasoned coating is just oil that’s been baked into the skillet — unlike other nonstick pans that use toxic chemicals or flimsy coatings to achieve the same effect.
—Clara McMahon, Peoplemag, 15 Mar. 2024
Monica's defense attorneys have challenged this testimony as flimsy and misinterpreted, insisting the prosecutor has not established that divorce troubled Monica.
—Greg Fisher, CBS News, 14 Mar. 2024
Noun
Over the course of the story, John’s mother, Lucille, condemns him over flimsy-at-best evidence, and John’s father, Dan, physically beats him while arguing over the truthfulness of the Bible.
—Washington Post, 22 Apr. 2022
Few party regulars care to talk about the flimsy to nonexistent ethics that guide their fundraising.
—Michael Sokolove, The New Republic, 14 Feb. 2022
The Reform’s build quality is an odd mix of flimsy and tank-like.
—Andrew Cunningham, Ars Technica, 31 Jan. 2022
All of their products, the flimsy and the more substantial, seemed to float by at various levels.
—Washington Post, 12 Sep. 2021
That’s a lot of money for a toaster, and especially a toaster that looks this flimsy.
—Erik Kain, Forbes, 18 June 2021
Defense lawyers have criticized evidence against the father and son as flimsy and based on hearsay and speculation.
—Stephanie Pagones, Fox News, 23 Apr. 2021
Before anyone had a chance to digest the flimsy-at-best basis for many of the pardons, Trump unexpectedly made another announcement.
—John Cassidy, The New Yorker, 23 Dec. 2020
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'flimsy.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near flimsy
Cite this Entry
“Flimsy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/flimsy. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
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