# flimsy

> English word · Adjective · IPA /ˈflɪmzi/ · frequency rank #25,387

## Definitions
1. Likely to bend or break under pressure; easily damaged; frail, unsubstantial.
2. Likely to bend or break under pressure; easily damaged; frail, unsubstantial.
3. Of an argument, explanation, etc.: ill-founded, unconvincing, weak; also, unimportant; paltry, trivial.
4. Of a person: lacking depth of character or understanding; frivolous, superficial.
5. Of a person, their physical makeup, or their health: delicate, frail.

## 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.

## Easily confused with
- **flips** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/flimsy-vs-flips)
- **flirty** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/flimsy-vs-flirty)
- **flies** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/flies-vs-flimsy)

## Common misspellings (10)
`fflimsy`, `filmsy`, `flimmsy`, `flimssy`, `flimsyy`, `flimys`, `flismy`, `fllimsy`, `flmisy`, `lfimsy`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/flimsy