adjective · rare

flimsy

flim·sy

flimsy · flimsier · flimsiest

низький, невисокий

хрупкий, хлипкий

dünn, leicht, schwach, zart

Likely to bend or break under pressureLikely to bend or break under pressure; easily damaged; frail, unsubstantial.

ⓘ

/ˈflɪmzi/

» There was only a flimsy latch on the gate.

CK · Tatoeba · CC BY 2.0 FR

Meaning

5 senses

Likely to bend or break under pressure; easily damaged; frail, unsubstantial.
He expected the flimsy structure to collapse at any moment.
dünn, hauchdünn, leicht
хлипкийxlipkij, хру́пкийxrúpkij
Likely to bend or break under pressure; easily damaged; frail, unsubstantial.
Of clothing: very light and thin.
dünn
(figuratively)Of an argument, explanation, etc.: ill-founded, unconvincing, weak; also, unimportant; paltry, trivial.
a flimsy excuse
the flimsiest of theories
fadenscheinig
(figuratively)Of a person: lacking depth of character or understanding; frivolous, superficial.
(figuratively, obsolete)Of a person, their physical makeup, or their health: delicate, frail.

More definitions

lacking substance or significance
lacking solidity or strength
not convincing

Examples

13 sentences

There was only a flimsy latch on the gate.
CK · Tatoeba · CC BY 2.0 FR · C1Open on Tatoeba Report a problem
It's a bit flimsy.
CM · Tatoeba · CC BY 2.0 FR · C1Open on Tatoeba Report a problem
You will open a flimsy brown door.
ruВы откроете хлипкую коричневую дверь. — astru
LB · Tatoeba · CC BY 2.0 FR · C1Open on Tatoeba Report a problem
It was a flimsy excuse at best.
Hybrid · Tatoeba · CC BY 2.0 FR · C1Open on Tatoeba Report a problem
The flimsy cordon failed to keep back the protestors.
mccarras · Tatoeba · CC BY 2.0 FR · C2Open on Tatoeba Report a problem

Translations

5 languages

Русский

By meaning 1

likely to bend or break under pressure; easily damaged:

Deutsch

By meaning 2

likely to bend or break under pressure; easily damaged:

of an argument, explanation, etc.: ill-founded, unconvincing, weak — see also unconvincing, weak:

Origin

The origin of the adjective is uncertain; it is possibly from flim(-flam) (“(noun) false i

The origin of the adjective is uncertain; it is possibly from flim(-flam) (“(noun) false information presented as true, misinformation, nonsense; poor attempt at deception, confidence trick, pretence; (adjective) frivolous, nonsensical; deceptive; fictitious”) or a metathesis of film (“thin layer of a substance; slender thread”) + -sy (suffix forming adjectives and nouns).

Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source