Word of the Day

: August 4, 2018

slimsy

adjective SLIM-zee

What It Means

: flimsy, frail

slimsy in Context

"For one thing, she'll have to make Daisy some clothes first, because Daisy hasn't got much to wear except what she's got on…. Just about all she's got to her name is that little slimsy gingham jumper she's wearing." — Erskine Caldwell, A Woman in the House, 1936

"With Nebraska going out in the quarterfinals against Michigan—leaving the Cornhuskers with a slimsy resume nearly devoid of high-end wins—the Big Ten is poised to produce only four tournament teams for the first time since 2008." — Patrick Stevens, The Chicago Tribune, 5 Mar. 2018

Did You Know?

The reasons why some words flourish and others fall by the lexical wayside are often unclear, but what is clear is that slimsy is firmly in the latter category: it has very little current use. This doesn't have to stop you from using it though; slimsy is a blend of slim and flimsy, and its meaning should be pretty much apparent to your audience if you're careful with the context. The word was first used in the mid-19th century and was at its peak of popularity in the early 20th. Who knows? Maybe the 21st century will see its revival.