It makes things easier if your matrix is sparse.
Source: tatoeba (966204)
Sparse
/spɑːɹs/
Synonyms for "sparse" (129 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (26)
almost unheard-ofat a premiumbroadcastcheeseparingchinchychintzydiffusediscretedisperseddispreaddisseminateddissipateddistributedexiguous
Noun(4 words)
crowd thinningfew cluesfew resourcesgerman dünn
Adjective(1 words)
Verb(1 words)
Determiner(2 words)
fewfew instances
Strong matches (39)
in short supplyinappreciableinfrequentinsignificantleanlimitedlittlemeagermeagremeaslymiserlyniggardlynot muchnot to be hadoccasionalout of printout of seasonout of stockpiddlingpoor
Adjective(3 words)
Noun(2 words)
less sharedminimalist
Adjective(10 words)
Determiner(1 words)
most seedling thinning
Adverb(1 words)
nearly zero density
Related words (64)
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: thin, aliquant, almost unheard-of, at a premium, broadcast.
- Sentence evidence is available for sparse, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from wordnet, opengloss, derived_reverse, moby, and related lexical sources.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "sparse".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "sparse"
Keep "sparse" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "sparse" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "sparse", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "sparse" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
3 entriesdata density conceptdensity descriptorscarcity concept
More specific
6 entrieslimited resourcesmeager budgetpatchy distributionsparse graphsparse matrixsparse vegetation
Collocations
6 entriessparse crowdsparse datasparse distributionsparse populationsparse rainfallsparse vegetation
Inflections
2 entriesDerivations
2 entriessimilar
1 entriesSample sentences
10 total sentences available.
But rain has been sparse in Tanzania, as it has in neighboring East African nations, and meteorologists are warning of a prolonged dry season.
Source: tatoeba (10913219)
Trees became sparse.
Source: tatoeba (11826068)
If I wanted to learn Sumerian I would download a textbook or two, work my way through it, and also find university resources on the language, such as dictionaries and grammars hosted by universities. For a lot of dead languages, universities and university-quality scholarly websites host a ton of resources. Sumerian will be more sparse than Latin or Greek, maybe even than Old English, but I can't imagine there are no good free resources hosted by universities.
Source: tatoeba (11839563)
Showing 4 of 10 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "sparse"?
Closest matches include thin, aliquant, almost unheard-of, at a premium, broadcast.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "sparse"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.