Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • adjective Light, thin, and insubstantial.
  • adjective Lacking solidity or strength; easily damaged: synonym: fragile.
  • adjective Lacking plausibility; unconvincing.
  • noun Thin paper usually used to make multiple copies.
  • noun Something written on this thin paper.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • Without material strength or solid substance; of loose and unsubstantial structure.
  • Without strength or force of any kind; weak; ineffectual: as, a flimsy argument.
  • Synonyms Unsubstantial, thin, slight.
  • Feeble, trivial, shallow, superficial, frivolous, foolish, puerile.
  • noun A thin sort of paper by means of which several copies of a writing may be made at once; transfer-paper.
  • noun A bank-note, from its being made of thin paper.
  • noun A manifold copy of a report or despatch made on flimsy; reporters' ‘copy’; a duplicate or a triplicate writing made on flimsy.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun Thin or transfer paper.
  • noun Slang, Eng. A bank note.
  • adjective Weak; feeble; limp; slight; vain; without strength or solidity; of loose and unsubstantial structure; without reason or plausibility.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adjective Likely to bend or break under pressure; weak, shaky, flexible, or fragile.
  • noun Thin typing paper used to make multiple copies.
  • noun informal, in the plural Skimpy underwear.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • adjective lacking solidity or strength
  • noun a thin strong lightweight translucent paper used especially for making carbon copies
  • adjective lacking substance or significance
  • adjective not convincing

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Origin unknown.]

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Examples

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  • "No wonder my very well-developed, very active 11 year-old daughter is so reluctant to make the transition from her flimsy training bras. "

    Source: Free The Nipple in Korea? Why Not? Uncovering the history of a taboo

    January 22, 2018