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
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Recent Examples of flimsy
The pseudo-maternal bond between Maleficent and Fanning’s Princess Aurora is flimsy, but when Maleficent brings the full force of her powers down on her enemies, the movie can be thrilling.
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Josh Bell, Vulture, 20 Dec. 2024
The dress is thin and flimsy and appears to be incomplete: the ends of the straps dangle in the back instead of being secured on the inside of the bodice.
—Mia Sato, The Verge, 19 Dec. 2024
Solid hardware One of my big complaints about the first-generation Kishi (the folding and flimsy back) isn't an issue with the Backbone One.
—Ars Technica, 18 Dec. 2024
Most of Gaza’s civilians have been forced by fighting and by Israeli orders to relocate from their homes into flimsy tent camps or overcrowded schools and mosques that are never safe from bombing.
—Trudy Rubin, Twin Cities, 18 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for flimsy 
Josh Bell, Vulture, 20 Dec. 2024
The dress is thin and flimsy and appears to be incomplete: the ends of the straps dangle in the back instead of being secured on the inside of the bodice.
—Mia Sato, The Verge, 19 Dec. 2024
Solid hardware One of my big complaints about the first-generation Kishi (the folding and flimsy back) isn't an issue with the Backbone One.
—Ars Technica, 18 Dec. 2024
Most of Gaza’s civilians have been forced by fighting and by Israeli orders to relocate from their homes into flimsy tent camps or overcrowded schools and mosques that are never safe from bombing.
—Trudy Rubin, Twin Cities, 18 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for flimsy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flimsy
Adjective
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Salads Salads don’t have to feel flimsy or unsubstantial.Katie Workman, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Sep. 2023
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From a personal finance perspective, people with extra cash should feel free to put an unsubstantial portion of their wealth into high-risk, high-volatility assets like crypto or meme stocks or even Super Bowl bets (thanks for the two-touchdown performance, Cooper Kupp).Scott Nover, Quartz, 14 Feb. 2022
Adjective
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The judge could also impose other penalties like probation, though that’s unlikely, given the logistical issues that could present given Trump’s presidency.Alison Durkee, Forbes, 7 Jan. 2025
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But the prospect of an isolationist policy under Trump, even the possibility of a U.S. withdrawal from NATO and the further weakening of the Western alliance, confrontation with China, and a tariff war with much of the world, is unlikely to make the United States, or other countries, safer.Margaret MacMillan, Foreign Affairs, 7 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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With a not insubstantial piece of Mexico’s economy reliant on production stateside, a cessation of those inflows will logically impoverish a big number of those formerly sustained directly by remittances.John Tamny, Forbes, 4 Jan. 2025
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If those arguments appear insubstantial, the jury verdict and injunction should stand.Alden Abbott, Forbes, 10 Oct. 2024
Adjective
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The Chinese economy slowed in the third quarter of this year, its property market remains in a fragile state and consumer confidence hasn’t quite recovered since the COVID-19 pandemic.Sofia Celeste, WWD, 10 Jan. 2025
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Watch on Deadline The result is a slickly polished slice of mainstream entertainment that portrays the city’s legal system as a precious yet fragile institution.James Marsh, Deadline, 10 Jan. 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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Bridges were needed not just to fulfill a gauzy City Beautiful dream, but for practical reasons.Gary Kamiya, San Francisco Chronicle, 4 Mar. 2022
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Having grown up working in his mother’s Los Angeles hair salon, Bradford adopted a primary artmaking material that is not paint, but rather small gauzy papers used to curl hair.Matthew Bourbon, Dallas News, 22 Apr. 2020
Adjective
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That’s the experience the viewer simply must embrace with The Brutalist: giving themselves over to the sheer loudness of it all.David Sims, The Atlantic, 10 Jan. 2025
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The sheer scale of the Los Angeles fires and the prominence of the location have delivered an unprecedented amount of eyeballs to the young platform.Boone Ashworth, WIRED, 10 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Instead of creating huge reservoirs to dam the rivers and compromise their delicate ecology, Bhutanese turbines harness their natural flow, meaning a glut of power during the sodden summers and a dearth during the parched winters.By Charlie Campbell/Gelephu, Bhutan, TIME, 16 Jan. 2025
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But this transition period is a delicate moment, when the country could be caught off guard if the situation suddenly changes, says Goodman, who recommends the Biden administration share its pandemic playbook so incoming officials can game out different pandemic scenarios and assess readiness.Will Stone, NPR, 16 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near flimsy
Cite this Entry
“Flimsy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flimsy. Accessed 21 Jan. 2025.
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