flimsy

English

Etymology

Origin uncertain. First used in the 18th century. Perhaps a metathesis of film +‎ -s +‎ -y; or related to flimflam.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈflɪmzi/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

Adjective

flimsy (comparative flimsier or more flimsy, superlative flimsiest or most flimsy)

1. Likely to bend or break under pressure.

   Synonyms: weak, shaky, flexible, fragile

   Antonyms: robust, strong, sturdy

   He expected the flimsy structure to collapse at any moment.

   • (Can we date this quote by Sheridan and provide title, author’s full name, and other details?)

     All the flimsy furniture of a country miss's brain.

2. (figurative) Weak; ill-founded.

   Synonyms: weak, feeble, unconvincing

   Antonyms: well-founded, substantiated

   a flimsy excuse

Translations

likely to bend or break under pressure

• Bulgarian: слаб (bg) (slab), крехък (bg) (krehǎk), чуплив (bg) (čupliv)
• Danish: spinkel, skrøbelig
• Dutch: breekbaar (nl)
• French: frêle (fr), fragile (fr)
• German: zart (de), schwach (de), leicht (de), zerbrechlich, hauchdünn (de)
• Latin: fragilis
• Maori: kopī, marore, kōpīpī
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: spinkel

  Nynorsk: spinkel

• Portuguese: frágil (pt), receoso (pt), trémulo (pt)
• Russian: хру́пкий (ru) (xrúpkij), хлипкий (ru) (xlipkij)

weak; ill-founded

• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Danish: tynd (da), svag
• German: fadenscheinig (de)

Noun

flimsy (plural flimsies)

1. Thin typing paper used to make multiple copies.
   • 1977, John Le Carré, The Honourable Schoolboy, Folio Society 2010, p. 251:

     Smiley peered once more at the flimsy which he still clutched in his pudgy hand.

2. (informal, in the plural) Skimpy underwear.
   • 2007 October 25, Ruth La Ferla, “Now It’s Nobody’s Secret”, in New York Times‎^[1]:

     Choosing lingerie “is about what makes you look good, but also what looks good with or through your clothing,” said Monica Mitro, a spokeswoman for Victoria’s Secret, the brand that catapulted racy flimsies into the public eye.

3. (slang) A banknote.

Translations

Thin typing paper used to make multiple copies

• Bulgarian: пелюр m (peljur)
• Danish: gennemslagspapir n
• Irish: páipéar tanaí m
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Spanish: papel cebolla m