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Gene93 Posted 11 years ago
Vocabulary

flimsy

Hello,
Can we say: "His new house looked flimsy"? Is it not more natural to say that it was "not soundly constructed"? What do you normally say in such contexts?
  

Top answer

Gene93 Can we say: "His new house looked flimsy"? Yes. Gene93 Is it not more natural to say that it was "not soundly constructed"?

— CalifJim

  • Gene93 Can we say: "His new house looked flimsy"?
  • Yes.
  • Gene93 Is it not more natural to say that it was "not soundly constructed"?
  • No, not more natural.
  • This is just less casual in style.
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6 Answers
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Gene93Can we say: "His new house looked flimsy"?
Yes.
Gene93Is it not more natural to say that it was "not soundly constructed"?
No, not more natural. This is just less casual in style.
Gene93What do you normally say in such contexts?
I tend to use everyday words, so I'd probably say it
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His new house looked jerry-built.
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I like to use the word "ramshackle" in such cases.
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XerxesI like to use the word "ramshackle" in such cases.
I associate ramshackle with old dilapidated buildings more than new construction.
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AlpheccaStarsI associate ramshackle with old dilapidated buildings more than new construction.
Not to put too fine a point on it, but according to my trusty thesaurus, "ramshackle" is an adjective used to describe something that is "in a very bad condition and needing to be repaired". Also, "appearing ready to collapse". There is no reference to the age of the
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Xerxesbut according to my trusty thesaurus, "ramshackle" is an adjective used to describe something that is "in a very bad condition and needing to be repaired".
Fine. We don't expect things built recently to be "in a very bad condition and needing to be repaired", which is why most native speakers "associate ramshackle with old dilapidated buildings more than
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