flimsy

6 synonyms and 8 antonyms for flimsy, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.

Adj — Easily broken or damaged; not sturdy.

Synonyms

Everyday swaps

Common words most readers know — safe in any writing.

thin slight

Less common

Still standard English, but they carry more weight.

fragile

Rare, literary or technical

Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.

unconvincing insubstantial tenuous

Synonyms by Meaning

1. adj

Easily broken or damaged; not sturdy.

“The umbrella was so flimsy it snapped in the first gust of wind.”

unconvincing thin insubstantial tenuous fragile slight

Opposites

robust strong solid sturdy stalwart

2. adj

Unconvincing or weak, especially describing an argument or excuse.

“The lawyer dismissed the alibi as a flimsy excuse.”

Opposites

cogent substantial sound

How to use flimsy

The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.

flimsy excuse flimsy material flimsy evidence

Etymology

Origin uncertain; possibly related to flim-flam ("nonsense, trickery") or a reshuffling of film ("thin layer") with the suffix -sy.

Full origin of flimsy →

Frequently asked questions

What does “flimsy” mean?

The word “flimsy” means easily broken or damaged; not sturdy. In plain terms, thin and weak — either physically (flimsy material) or logically (a flimsy excuse).

How do you pronounce “flimsy”?

“Flimsy” is pronounced FLIHM-zee (/ˈflɪmzi/ in IPA).

How do you use “flimsy” in a sentence?

Here is “flimsy” used in a sentence: “The umbrella was so flimsy it snapped in the first gust of wind.”

What part of speech is “flimsy”?

“Flimsy” is an adjective.

How many meanings does “flimsy” have?

“Flimsy” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: easily broken or damaged; not sturdy.

People also searched

strong sound solid thin substantial slight robust fragile sturdy cogent unconvincing tenuous

Nearby words

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