1
as in unsubstantial
being of a material lacking in sturdiness or substance
a flimsy scarf that was more for decoration than for warmth
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in unlikely
not likely to be true or to occur
"The check is in the mail" is a pretty flimsy and tired excuse
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of flimsy
What the evaluation process actually looks like A major myth says online screens are flimsy or amateurish.
—
Lucy Jones
april 11, Miami Herald, 11 Apr. 2026
While other contestants achieved varying results by playing it straight, Rhod Gilbert tied up Horne instead, leaving Horne unable to untie the flimsy rope that Gilbert fastened around his own wrists.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 8 Apr. 2026
The build quality feels durable and premium, not flimsy like many wagons.
—Laura Lu, Parents, 7 Apr. 2026
Building and construction unions no longer can use their old rhetorical cudgel in this debate — calling prefab homes flimsy and unsafe.
—U T Editorial Board, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for flimsy
Lucy Jones
april 11, Miami Herald, 11 Apr. 2026
While other contestants achieved varying results by playing it straight, Rhod Gilbert tied up Horne instead, leaving Horne unable to untie the flimsy rope that Gilbert fastened around his own wrists.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 8 Apr. 2026
The build quality feels durable and premium, not flimsy like many wagons.
—Laura Lu, Parents, 7 Apr. 2026
Building and construction unions no longer can use their old rhetorical cudgel in this debate — calling prefab homes flimsy and unsafe.
—U T Editorial Board, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for flimsy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flimsy
Adjective
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This can alter the amount and types of ACE-inhibiting peptides created during fermentation2—and possibly account for kombucha's unsubstantial effect on blood pressure.—
MD Published,
Verywell Health,
27 Dec. 2025
-
Then again … This really does sum up Reeves’s unsubstantial performance as Jonathan Harker, whose new client is definitely up to no good.—
Tim Grierson,
Vulture,
18 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Attempting to close this gap solely by raising the gas tax would require a dramatic increase that is unlikely to be politically viable.—
Andrew Stasiowski,
Boston Herald,
24 Apr. 2026
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But analysts said the new model is unlikely to send markets into the kind of frenzy the previous one did.—
John Liu,
CNN Money,
24 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The wall was as insubstantial as a set on a film studio’s back lot.—
Rebecca Mead,
New Yorker,
13 Apr. 2026
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Even with her strong work, the film around her always feels, at best, insubstantial, and, at worst, incomplete.—
Chase Hutchinson,
IndieWire,
19 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The discussions follow last Tuesday’s historic meeting between Israeli Ambassador Yechiel Leiter and Lebanese Ambassador Nada Hamadeh, attended by Rubio, which were the first direct negotiations between the two countries in decades and resulted in the agreement for a fragile 10-day ceasefire.—
Sean Nevin,
NBC news,
24 Apr. 2026
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Israel and Lebanon are due to begin a second round of peace talks Thursday, as the Israeli military and Iranian-backed Hezbollah accuse each other of breaching their fragile ceasefire.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
23 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The type of memory flashbacks that are shot at knee level, gauzy and out of focus, with a gossamer visual touch to conjure whispering, buried emotions of the past.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
17 Feb. 2026
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Perverts By turns a budding chart sensation, a political firebrand, and an enthusiastic cataloguer of cryptids, Ethel Cain interrupts a stream of gossamer pop, folk, and rock records with Perverts, a droning rejection of the accessibility of her 2022 Billboard top-ten debut Preacher’s Daughter.—
Craig Jenkins,
Vulture,
2 Dec. 2025
Adjective
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After snapping photos of the bride all dressed up in a long gauzy veil and a white halterdress, the reality star—who wore a white sports bra with a white bathrobe tied around her waist—changed into a polarizing skirt set for the ceremony.—
Lara Walsh,
InStyle,
1 Apr. 2026
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The gauzy texture is made from organic cotton, and the decorative pillow shams have a highly dimensional stitching.—
Julia Harrison,
Architectural Digest,
20 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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But the 6-foot-5 Dennis-Sutton’s potential and sheer agility are off the charts, at his size.—
Luca Evans,
Denver Post,
25 Apr. 2026
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The format has its limitations, though — the most obvious for fans with an inclination to ship is the sheer inability to develop romantic relationships over the course of a season.—
Payton Turkeltaub,
Variety,
25 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Here, chef Ishan interprets familiar flavours afresh, turning guavas into a delicate cheesecake, jackfruit into nihari, and charred melon into carpaccio.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
23 Apr. 2026
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The famous lookalike style is known for its two-tone cap-toe and delicate bow accent, and this Quince version features the same details.—
Tanya Sharma,
PEOPLE,
23 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Flimsy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flimsy. Accessed 26 Apr. 2026.
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