German word

spärlich

Pronunciation

IPA/ˈʃpɛːɐ̯lɪç/

Meaning

  • adjectivesparse

Example

Im Saal waren nur spärliche Zuschauer.

There were only a few spectators scattered around the hall.

Illustration for spärlich (sparse)

More examples

Zur Forschungsfrage gibt es nur spärliche Belege.

There is only scant evidence for the research question.

Core concept

A few isolated lights appear across a wide, mostly dark landscape.

Common phrases

  • spärliches Angebot

    sparse selection

  • spärliche Belege

    scant evidence

  • spärliche Kenntnisse

    scant knowledge

Similar words

vereinzelt: Occurring separately at scattered points.
dünn: Present in a thin layer or low concentration.
zerstreut: Dispersed across an area without a clear cluster.
lückenhaft: Marked by breaks and missing sections in an otherwise connected whole.

Definition in German

nur in geringer Menge und mit weitem Abstand vorkommen; nicht dicht oder zahlreich sein

Word origin

The German adjective spärlich developed from an older Germanic form related to sparen and came to denote a scant or thinly distributed amount.

Usage tips

  • Spärlich often suggests insufficiency or meagerness, while wenige can simply state a small number without that nuance.

Other meanings

  • scantadjective
  • scarceadjective
  • fewadjective

Opposites

Related words

  • Spärlichkeitsparsenessnoun

Word lists with this word