sparsely

sparsely — adverb

1. in a way that describes an area or surface where people, objects, or living thin

1.adverbB2
Definition

in a way that describes an area or surface where people, objects, or living things exist in very small numbers, with a lot of empty space between them

Example

The northern region of the country is sparsely populated, with vast forests between the towns.

collocation: sparsely populated

Andrés's apartment was sparsely furnished with only a mattress and a wooden chair.

collocation: sparsely furnished

Common collocations
  • sparsely populated
  • sparsely furnished
  • sparsely attended
  • sparsely decorated
  • sparsely vegetated
Synonyms
  • thinly

    more common in everyday speech; 'thinly spread' is interchangeable with 'sparsely distributed'

  • scantily

    more formal and often used for clothing or resources rather than population

  • lightly

    implies a moderate degree rather than extreme scarcity; less emphatic than 'sparsely'

Antonyms
  • densely

    the direct opposite; 'densely populated' vs 'sparsely populated'

  • thickly

    used for vegetation, crowds, or layers

Grammar Patterns

sparsely + past participle (populated, furnished, attended)

sparsely + adjective (vegetated, wooded)

Usage Note

Most often used with past participles such as 'populated', 'furnished', 'attended', 'decorated', 'vegetated', and 'wooded'. It is not used with action verbs in the progressive (✗ 'he was sparsely eating').

Common Mistakes

The room was sparsely enough for two people.
The room was sparsely furnished enough for two people.
'sparsely' must modify an adjective or past participle, not stand alone as a predicate.
People sparsely live in the desert.
The desert is sparsely populated.
'sparsely' is not used directly with action verbs; use 'sparsely populated' instead.

Word family

  • sparse
    adjectiveB2
  • sparseness
    nounC1
  • sparsity
    nounC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: adverb/1

'Sparsely', 'thinly', and 'scantily' all describe a low quantity or density, but they differ in their typical contexts. 'Sparsely' is the most neutral and common in formal descriptions of population, vegetation, or furnishings ('sparsely populated', 'sparsely furnished'). 'Thinly' is more conversational and often suggests a layer or coating that is not thick ('thinly sliced bread', 'thinly spread butter'), but it can overlap with 'sparsely' in phrases like 'thinly populated'. 'Scantily' carries a stronger sense of insufficiency and is most commonly used with clothing ('scantily clad') or resources. Use 'sparsely' when the focus is on wide empty spaces between items; use 'thinly' for an even but shallow coverage; use 'scantily' when the amount is so small that it is barely adequate.

sparsely ↗thinly ↗scantily

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • sparsely populated area
  • sparsely furnished room
  • sparsely attended event

Etymology

LatinEnglish

Formed from 'sparse' (adjective, meaning 'thinly scattered or distributed') and the adverb-forming suffix '-ly'. The adjective 'sparse' entered English in the early 18th century from Latin 'sparsus', the past participle of 'spargere', meaning 'to scatter' or 'to strew'.