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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of flimsy
The 8-foot-by-8-foot sheds have become a staple of quick solutions to homelessness but face the criticism of being cramped, flimsy and undignified.
—
Los Angeles Times, 22 Jan. 2026
Alas, that roof is essential and much appreciated for drivers who don’t trust a flimsy hardhat with their lives.
—Caleb Jacobs, The Drive, 22 Jan. 2026
Without clarifying legislation, sweepstakes casino platforms will continue to skirt existing Indiana law based on a flimsy – and judicially rejected – legal premise, and new entrants will continue to flood the market.
—Daniel Wallach, Forbes.com, 21 Jan. 2026
Lightweight glasses frames used to feel flimsy or temporary.
—Ethan Stone, Charlotte Observer, 21 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for flimsy
Los Angeles Times, 22 Jan. 2026
Alas, that roof is essential and much appreciated for drivers who don’t trust a flimsy hardhat with their lives.
—Caleb Jacobs, The Drive, 22 Jan. 2026
Without clarifying legislation, sweepstakes casino platforms will continue to skirt existing Indiana law based on a flimsy – and judicially rejected – legal premise, and new entrants will continue to flood the market.
—Daniel Wallach, Forbes.com, 21 Jan. 2026
Lightweight glasses frames used to feel flimsy or temporary.
—Ethan Stone, Charlotte Observer, 21 Jan. 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
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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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The series follows a teenage boy who forms an unlikely alliance with the Fairy Queen of Celtic lore to search for malevolent mythical creatures from around the world, among them the Yeti, Baba Yaga and a Lady Dracula — not to destroy them, but to save them from impending doom.—
Ed Meza,
Variety,
13 Feb. 2026
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Costco, by contrast, is betting that visible, if measured, support for diversity can coexist with—and even underpin—a booming business, turning the warehouse club into an unlikely bellwether for how far corporate America is willing to go in defying the president’s DEI directive.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
13 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Scarlet’s good intentions to end wars by way of sheer determination to do what’s right might prove insubstantial in practice.—
Carlos Aguilar,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Feb. 2026
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Oliver Rackham, the great historian of the British countryside, devoted a not insubstantial portion of his career to rebutting this claim, noting that there is no evidence whatsoever to suggest that these punishments were ever carried out.—
Rosa Lyster,
Harpers Magazine,
30 Dec. 2025
Adjective
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Savannah Guthrie opened the family’s plea by thanking supporters for their prayers before describing her mother as the heart of their family and making a direct appeal for contact, stressing Nancy Guthrie’s fragile health and urgent need for medication.—
Adam Sabes , Michael Ruiz , Greg Wehner,
FOXNews.com,
5 Feb. 2026
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Biocomputing remains highly experimental, fragile, and difficult to scale.—
Matthew S Williams,
Interesting Engineering,
5 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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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
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The phrase Silk Road evokes caravans on the horizon spinning a colossal web across the desert, with mountains of gossamer fabrics, ideologies, and discoveries ferried from China to Europe and back.—
Sarah Khan,
Condé Nast Traveler,
25 Nov. 2022
Adjective
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The dramatic moment came from her oversized hat, featuring a massive brim with a gauzy white veil and a butterflies fixed on top.—
Skyler Caruso,
PEOPLE,
20 Jan. 2026
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These aren’t just gauzy tales from the past.—
Franklin Foer,
The Atlantic,
11 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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For something a bit more romantic, grab a set of sheer lace curtains for just $11.—
Shea Simmons,
Southern Living,
14 Feb. 2026
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The sheer number of potential new species illustrates just how little of Argentina’s deep-sea biodiversity has been explored — and how much there is left to protect.—
Ryan Brennan,
Kansas City Star,
13 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Bring in Other Scents Scent can be introduced in a variety of ways, from candles and diffusers to delicate room sprays.—
Kate Donovan,
Martha Stewart,
5 Feb. 2026
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Young boys cleaned test tubes, brawny machinists built gauges and mills, and scales delicate enough to weigh an inch of a spider's web.—
Natalia Sánchez Loayza,
Scientific American,
5 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Flimsy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flimsy. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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