sparser; sparsest
: of few and scattered elements
especially
: not thickly grown or settled
Synonyms
Examples of sparse in a Sentence
open land is sparse around here
Recent Examples on the Web
The album has the trademark blue-collar vibe of many other Springsteen albums, but this was also full of bleak and hopeless themes, accompanied by a sparse instruments.
—
Borys Kit, The Hollywood Reporter, 8 Apr. 2024
The TikTok Shop page itself looks more like Wish or Temu, its sparse design advertising only a product’s name, price, discount, and, in some cases, how many have sold.
—Brennan Kilbane, Allure, 5 Apr. 2024
David Grimaldi pauses before a gleaming white cabinet, one of dozens arranged in long rows in a sparse, high-ceilinged room on the first floor of the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) in New York.
—Nathaniel Scharping, Discover Magazine, 4 Apr. 2024
Waitlists to access these sparse resources are highly impacted, and none of those beds are tailored specifically for those experiencing homelessness.
—Jim Vargas, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Apr. 2024
Talking one-to-one with a stranger, Springsteen is polite but withdrawn, a slim 26-year-old with a sparse beard and a huge gold hoop through one ear, clasping his hands together and staring at the floor.
—Christine Brown, Detroit Free Press, 30 Mar. 2024
Strings accompany the usual sparse guitar as background vocals from other Black female country singers - Brittney Spencer, Tanner Adell, Tiera Kennedy and Reyna Roberts – soar through the crevices of the song.
—USA TODAY, 29 Mar. 2024
His principals had sparse experience with the cultivation of cross-class coalitions, and there was no social infrastructure that might have afforded them opportunities to learn.
—Gideon Lewis-Kraus, The New Yorker, 25 Mar. 2024
The snow came after an unseasonably warm and sparse snow season in Wisconsin.
—David Clarey, Journal Sentinel, 25 Mar. 2024
Borys Kit, The Hollywood Reporter, 8 Apr. 2024
The TikTok Shop page itself looks more like Wish or Temu, its sparse design advertising only a product’s name, price, discount, and, in some cases, how many have sold.
—Brennan Kilbane, Allure, 5 Apr. 2024
David Grimaldi pauses before a gleaming white cabinet, one of dozens arranged in long rows in a sparse, high-ceilinged room on the first floor of the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) in New York.
—Nathaniel Scharping, Discover Magazine, 4 Apr. 2024
Waitlists to access these sparse resources are highly impacted, and none of those beds are tailored specifically for those experiencing homelessness.
—Jim Vargas, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Apr. 2024
Talking one-to-one with a stranger, Springsteen is polite but withdrawn, a slim 26-year-old with a sparse beard and a huge gold hoop through one ear, clasping his hands together and staring at the floor.
—Christine Brown, Detroit Free Press, 30 Mar. 2024
Strings accompany the usual sparse guitar as background vocals from other Black female country singers - Brittney Spencer, Tanner Adell, Tiera Kennedy and Reyna Roberts – soar through the crevices of the song.
—USA TODAY, 29 Mar. 2024
His principals had sparse experience with the cultivation of cross-class coalitions, and there was no social infrastructure that might have afforded them opportunities to learn.
—Gideon Lewis-Kraus, The New Yorker, 25 Mar. 2024
The snow came after an unseasonably warm and sparse snow season in Wisconsin.
—David Clarey, Journal Sentinel, 25 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sparse.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Dictionary Entries Near sparse
Cite this Entry
“Sparse.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sparse. Accessed 16 Apr. 2024.
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Kids Definition
sparse
adjective
sparser; sparsest
: of few and scattered elements
especially
: not thickly grown or settled
More from Merriam-Webster on sparse
Nglish: Translation of sparse for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of sparse for Arabic Speakers
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