sparse

UK: /ˈspɑː^rs/ US: /spɑrs/ ,(spärs)

Inflections of 'sparse' (adj):

sparser

adj comparative

sparsest

adj superlative

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

sparse  /spɑrs/   adj., spars•er, spars•est. 

1. thinly scattered or distributed; not thick or dense:
   sparse gray hairs on top of his head.
2. scanty;
   meager:
   sparse vegetation.

sparse•ly, adv. 
sparse•ness, spar•si•ty /ˈspɑrsɪti/  n. [uncountable]

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

sparse (spärs),  adj., spars•er, spars•est. 

1. thinly scattered or distributed:
   a sparse population.
2. not thick or dense; thin:
   sparse hair.
3. scanty;
   meager.

• Latin sparsus, past participle of spargere to scatter, sparge
• 1715–25

sparse′ly, adv. 
sparse′ness, spar•si•ty  (spär′si tē), n.  Synonyms

• 1. –3. See scanty. 

Antonyms

• 1. –3. abundant.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

sparse / spɑːs/ adjective

1. scattered or scanty; not dense

Etymology: 18th Century: from Latin sparsus, from spargere to scatter

ˈsparsely adverb

ˈsparseness, ˈsparsity noun