flimsy

== English == === Etymology === 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). The noun and verb are derived from the noun. Noun noun sense 4 (“metal container”) refers to the fact that the containers often split along their seams and leaked. === Pronunciation === (Received Pronunciation, General American) IPA(key): /ˈflɪmzi/ Rhymes: -ɪmzi Hyphenation: flim‧sy === Adjective === flimsy (comparative flimsier or more flimsy, superlative flimsiest or most flimsy) Likely to bend or break under pressure; easily damaged; frail, unsubstantial. [from 18th c.] Synonyms: fragile, shaky, weak Antonyms: robust, strong, sturdy, unflimsy Of clothing: very light and thin. Synonyms: diaphanous, filmy, gossamer, gossamer-thin, gossamery (figurative) Of an argument, explanation, etc.: ill-founded, unconvincing, weak; also, unimportant; paltry, trivial. [from 18th c.] Synonyms: feeble, unfounded, unsubstantiated Antonyms: well-founded, substantiated Of a person: lacking depth of character or understanding; frivolous, superficial. [from 19th c.] Synonyms: flighty, silly, trifling, unserious Antonyms: serious, thoughtful (obsolete) Of a person, their physical makeup, or their health: delicate, frail. [18th c.] ==== Derived terms ==== ==== Translations ==== === Noun === flimsy (countable and uncountable, plural flimsies) (dated or historical) A thing which is ill-founded, unconvincing, or weak. (also attributive, uncountable) Thin typing paper used together with carbon paper in a typewriter to make multiple copies of a document; (countable) a sheet of such paper. (by extension) A document printed or typed on such paper. (naval slang, countable) A service certificate. (slang, countable) A banknote; (uncountable) paper money. (newspapers, uncountable) The text to be set into pages of magazines, newspapers, etc.; copy. (UK, military slang) A hexahedral metal container with a capacity of four imperial gallons (about 18 litres) used by the British Army during World War II to hold fuel. ==== Derived terms ==== soft flimsy ==== Translations ==== === Verb === flimsy (third-person singular simple present flimsies, present participle flimsying, simple past and past participle flimsied) (transitive) To make (something) likely to be easily damaged. (dated or historical) To type or write (text) on a flimsy (“sheet of thin typing paper used together with carbon paper in a typewriter to make multiple copies of a document”) (noun noun sense 2); to distribute such flimsies. (figurative) To treat (someone or something) as paltry or unimportant; to demean, to underestimate. ==== Translations ==== === References === === Further reading === flimsy (container) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia