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

• 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

Conclave feels like a very architectural, sparse, mathematical film, [whereas] Ballad felt to me like a chaotic pop opera that explodes at the seams. —Mia Galuppo, HollywoodReporter, 5 Sep. 2025

And the words, while sparse, move together with pauses and spaces to form a musical, entrancing pace or rhythm, one that is distinct from everyday speech and which the reader must be willing to follow. —Brian Robert Moore september 5, Literary Hub, 5 Sep. 2025

All these people took advantage of the sheep population, but a remnant of the herd remained among the rocky crags of the San Andres, where grass is sparse and water rare. —Tim Kelly, Outdoor Life, 4 Sep. 2025

Details surrounding the episode were initially sparse. —Nathan Pilling, Kansas City Star, 4 Sep. 2025

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