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

Inside Colombia, tremors from the quake’s epicenter reached as far as the remote region of Chocó on Monday, where sparse inroads could potentially delay efforts to reach more than half a million residents, according to Grece. — Sana Noor Haq, CNN Money, 11 Aug. 2026

Thanks to factors like the country's low light pollution and relatively sparse population density, the stage for a good night's sleep is well set. — Connor Sturges, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 Aug. 2026

Only one set of Canadian rocks might date back to this time in Earth’s history—but their provenance is hotly debated, and otherwise, geological evidence is sparse. — Stephanie Pappas, Scientific American, 7 Aug. 2026

The weather service said a heat advisory might be warranted for Sunday if storm activity is sparse and too short-lived to have any cooling effects across the region. — Kansas City Star, 7 Aug. 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