Sparse
/spɑːrs/
adjectiveB2
Definition
Sparse describes something that has very few parts, people, or things in a large area or space. It means not crowded or thick; there is a lot of empty space between items or people.
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See It in Action
Thinly spread or scattered over an area
- •The population in the mountains is sparse compared to the city.
- •Trees are sparse in this dry region.
- •The furniture in the room was sparse, making it look very large.
Small in amount or number
- •The evidence was sparse, so it was hard to make a decision.
- •Sparse rainfall makes farming difficult in this area.
Make It Stick
- ✓Think of 'sparse' like 'few,' but about how things are spread out over a big area, not just the number
- ✓Picture a desert with only a few small plants far apart from each other
- ✓It's the quiet feeling when you enter a room with very few pieces of furniture and lots of empty space
- ✓Sounds like 'sparse' → imagine 'sparks' flying far apart, not close together, showing emptiness
- ✓Think of a winter forest with only a few leaves left on the trees, making it look empty and open
- ✓NOT like 'crowded' (many things close together), sparse means things are spread thinly and far apart
- ✓NOT like 'dense' (thick or full), sparse is the opposite, with much space between things
Try Other Words
- •Scattered: spread out over an area (Use when things are spread irregularly but not necessarily few)
- •Thin: not thick or dense (Use when describing physical thickness or density)
- •Limited: small in amount (Use when emphasizing small quantity, not space)
- •Meager: very small or insufficient (Use when something is less than expected or needed)
Unboxing
- •Word parts: No clear prefix or suffix; root word 'sparse' itself
- •Etymology: From Latin 'sparsus,' past participle of 'spargere,' meaning 'to scatter or sprinkle'
- •Historical development: Entered English in the early 1600s, originally meaning scattered or thinly spread
- •Modern usage: Used to describe anything with few parts or low density, such as population, vegetation, or objects in space
Reflect & Connect
•How does the idea of something being sparse change when we talk about people versus objects?
•Can something be sparse but still feel full or busy? When might that happen?
Fill in the blanks
1.The forest was sparse, with ___ trees growing far apart from each other.
2.Because the rainfall was sparse, the crops did not ___ well this year.
3.Unlike a crowded city, the village had a sparse population and ___ many empty spaces.
4.When information is sparse, it can be ___ to make a clear decision.
5.The furniture in the room was sparse, so the space felt ___ and open.
6.Sparse data points mean the information is ___ spread across the graph.
7.The desert landscape looked sparse, with only a few plants ___ the dry soil.