flimsy
Thin, weak and easily broken.
flimsy in a sentence
- The flimsy paper umbrella folded inside out at the first gust of wind.
- The flimsy cardboard raft fell apart the moment the boys pushed it into the pond.
Try an 11+ style question
Verbal reasoning papers often ask about a word like this.
Which word is closest in meaning to flimsy?
- Asolid
- Bweak
- Csturdy
- Dstrong
Show the answer
B: weak. The other three mean the opposite of flimsy.
Which word is most nearly opposite in meaning to flimsy?
- Abreakable
- Bthin
- Cweak
- Dsturdy
Show the answer
D: sturdy. The other three mean nearly the same as flimsy.
Words that mean something similar
weak, thin, breakable
Words that mean the opposite
sturdy, strong, solid
Careful: flimsy is not frail
Flimsy describes things that are badly made. Frail describes living things that have grown weak. Read why children mix them up.
More words about appearance & looks
- fragile: Easily broken or damaged.
- frail: Weak and delicate, often because of age or illness.
- gaunt: Very thin and bony, often from being ill or hungry.
- ghastly: Horrible, shocking or very unpleasant.
- gnarled: Twisted, knobbly and rough, like a very old tree.
- grimace: To twist your face because of pain or disgust.
- grotesque: Strange and ugly in a way that is frightening or silly.
- haggard: Looking very tired and worn out.
More words to explore
Sitting the 11+ in Kent, Medway or Buckinghamshire?
Plain-English guides to each test, from the councils’ own pages: Kent Test · Medway Test · Bucks Secondary Transfer Test