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
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of flimsy
Ultimately, while The Substance got off to an intriguing start, the majority of the film and especially its goofy ending was mostly cheap shock value and amateurish satire built on the flimsiest premise imaginable.
—
Erik Kain, Forbes, 18 Jan. 2025
Meanwhile, aluminum plans can be flimsy and lack stability.
—Bestreviews, The Mercury News, 13 Feb. 2025
Its defense of the Second Amendment in the weeks following Newtown, Conn., has been flimsy and scattered, often having nothing to do with the Constitution.
—Pioneer Press, Twin Cities, 8 Feb. 2025
Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004) The blueprint, really, not just for Ferrell, but for a whole new school of comedy that would take over the next decade: aggressive absurdism, a (often purposefully) flimsy premise existing only to stack a series of lunatic gags and setpieces end-to-end.
—Tim Grierson, Vulture, 4 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for flimsy
Erik Kain, Forbes, 18 Jan. 2025
Meanwhile, aluminum plans can be flimsy and lack stability.
—Bestreviews, The Mercury News, 13 Feb. 2025
Its defense of the Second Amendment in the weeks following Newtown, Conn., has been flimsy and scattered, often having nothing to do with the Constitution.
—Pioneer Press, Twin Cities, 8 Feb. 2025
Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004) The blueprint, really, not just for Ferrell, but for a whole new school of comedy that would take over the next decade: aggressive absurdism, a (often purposefully) flimsy premise existing only to stack a series of lunatic gags and setpieces end-to-end.
—Tim Grierson, Vulture, 4 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for flimsy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flimsy
Adjective
-
Salads Salads don’t have to feel flimsy or unsubstantial.—
Katie Workman,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
6 Sep. 2023
-
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
-
His deal also underscored an unlikely source of strength for a franchise in transition: stability.—
Tyler Kepner,
The Athletic,
24 Feb. 2025
-
Hocevar wrecked regular-season series champion Corey Heim in the 2023 Truck Series finale at Phoenix, when another crash ended up collecting fellow contender Grant Enfinger, leading to Ben Rhodes’ unlikely second career title.—
Shane Connuck,
Charlotte Observer,
24 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
But, taking these study findings from here all the way down the drug development pipeline to where there’s a safe and effective new drug on the market is expected to take a long time and a not insubstantial amount of money.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
21 Jan. 2025
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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
Adjective
-
Menzel — who also provided additional contributions to the piece — effortlessly balances the different sides of her character, building something that feels deeply tangible yet fragile and completely unique.—
Raven Brunner,
People.com,
14 Feb. 2025
-
However, these works — all written by men — portrayed Veronika as a fragile, submissive woman, passively awaiting her fate.—
Leo Barraclough,
Variety,
14 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
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
-
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
-
Maybe her semi-see-through outfit spoke to that even more loudly than the song, as a salute to sheer endurance.—
Chris Willman,
Variety,
15 Feb. 2025
-
Use the Right Window Fixtures Instead of heavy drapes and black-out blinds, stick to sheer window treatments.—
Katelyn Squiers,
Better Homes & Gardens,
14 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Pieces include a sleeveless tartan top with pockets that could be mistaken for a gigantic scarf; delicate skirts in the style of a sarong wrap, and long-sleeve mesh T-shirts.—
Hikmat Mohammed,
WWD,
21 Feb. 2025
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There's actually a bevy of shine-boosting, ultra-nourishing oils on the market that deliver amazing results to delicate strands.—
Jennifer Hussein,
Allure,
21 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Flimsy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flimsy. Accessed 1 Mar. 2025.
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