1
as in unsubstantial
being of a material lacking in sturdiness or substance
a flimsy scarf that was more for decoration than for warmth
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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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of flimsy
Achieving that degree of certainty with flimsy security guarantees is impossible.
—
Alexandra Vacroux, Twin Cities, 11 Sep. 2025
The emphatic strategy was risky from the start — and now looks very flimsy, indeed.
—Niall Stanage, The Hill, 9 Sep. 2025
The wooden floor has rotted through, and only a few flimsy stairs remain attached to telephone poles, which once propped up the tower.
—Sophie Hartley, IndyStar, 3 Sep. 2025
Unfortunately, these strengths are working in service of a story too flimsy to support them, an unsatisfying combination of threadbare tropes, predictable twists and a wafer-thin character study.
—Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 30 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for flimsy
Alexandra Vacroux, Twin Cities, 11 Sep. 2025
The emphatic strategy was risky from the start — and now looks very flimsy, indeed.
—Niall Stanage, The Hill, 9 Sep. 2025
The wooden floor has rotted through, and only a few flimsy stairs remain attached to telephone poles, which once propped up the tower.
—Sophie Hartley, IndyStar, 3 Sep. 2025
Unfortunately, these strengths are working in service of a story too flimsy to support them, an unsatisfying combination of threadbare tropes, predictable twists and a wafer-thin character study.
—Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 30 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for flimsy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flimsy
Adjective
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Yet for all its craft, the film remains airy and unsubstantial, never quite rising to the full potential of its premise.—
Leila Latif,
IndieWire,
31 Aug. 2025
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The hit isn’t unsubstantial: In 2024, textile exports to the United States accounted for 10.7 percent of China’s total textile exports, valued at $14.8 billion, and 22.7 percent of China’s total apparel exports, or $36.1 billion’s worth.—
Jasmin Malik Chua,
Sourcing Journal,
5 May 2025
Adjective
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When an amateur true crime investigator arrives with the intention of tracking down the town's serial killer, the unlikely pair strike a truce to avoid being caught – and might just find a love story in their own madness.—
Madison E. Goldberg,
PEOPLE,
15 Sep. 2025
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Japanese women are unlikely to buy a shirt that shows a lot of cleavage.—
Lauren Collins,
New Yorker,
15 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Republican lawmakers and state attorneys general have challenged the basis of those recommendations, arguing that the evidence used to support them is insubstantial.—
Selena Simmons-Duffin,
NPR,
1 Aug. 2025
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Vague green claims won’t cut it anymore, as evidenced by a 2020 study from the European Commission, which found over half of environmental claims were insubstantial, misleading or unfounded.—
Alexandra Harrell,
Sourcing Journal,
2 July 2025
Adjective
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If even a crude silent gesture has drawn constitutional protection, fragile egos don’t justify a gag.—
Eric Preven,
Oc Register,
19 Sep. 2025
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The current reliance on a nearly 30-year-old spacecraft highlights just how fragile our space weather monitoring network has become.—
Daisy Dobrijevic,
Space.com,
19 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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No matter how far-fetched the premise or gossamer-thin the story, the musical invites (compels) us to go along with its essential surrealism, to travel to that dream space where everyday life suddenly moves and sounds deliriously out of this world.—
Manohla Dargis,
New York Times,
7 May 2020
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For her label Anissa Aida, designer Anissa Meddeb, who lives in the capital, makes gossamer silk blouses evoking the striped motif of handwoven fouta towels and voluminous coats inspired by the burnoose cloaks worn by Berbers.—
Sarah Khan,
Condé Nast Traveler,
5 Feb. 2020
Adjective
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Brooklinen’s Airweave cotton quilt, made of 100% Turkish cotton, has a gauzy exterior wrapped around a cotton candy cloud body.—
Yelena Moroz Alpert,
Architectural Digest,
18 Aug. 2025
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Kerry Washington Kerry Washington looked chic in a baby pink ensemble that played to our love of textures, pairing a high-neck, lace top with a gauzy skirt embellished with pink pearls over a shiny skirt.—
Erin Jensen,
USA TODAY,
23 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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The strapless corset gown had a sheer illusion jacket embellished with pearls, and was paired with a cathedral veil.—
Madison E. Goldberg,
PEOPLE,
16 Sep. 2025
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Clad in a chain-mail dress with sheer stripes and waist-length hair, Wilson's appearance during the Chris Habana show was greeted with raucous applause.—
Anna Kaufman,
USA Today,
16 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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When human activities like pollution disrupt habitats, these delicate host–parasite relationships can break down.—
Melissa Cristina Márquez,
Forbes.com,
19 Sep. 2025
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This delicate balance is precisely what makes the platform so powerful.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
19 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Flimsy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flimsy. Accessed 21 Sep. 2025.
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