What do you call something that under-utilizes its space? Opposite of cramped

In terms of web design, there is a very specific amount of space between elements that make an interface look nice. Too little space and things look cramped, but too much and they look __. Words like spacious and open usually have positive connotations. I'm looking for a word to describe how something looks when there's too much empty space.


Some of the following terms may apply directly; others are no more than figurative. Most of these words are adjectives rather than adverbs.

isolated (“Placed or standing apart or alone; in isolation”), eg: “The page elements are overly isolated.”
empty (“Devoid of content; containing nothing or nobody; vacant”), eg: “The page looks too empty.”
barren (“bleak”),
deserted (“desolate”),
gaping (“Wide open”),
cavernous (“resembling a cavern; vast”),
skimpy (“Small or inadequate; not generous”), eg: “The content is skimpy.”
thin, eg: “The content is rather thin on the ground.”


Sprawling - Spread out over a large area in an untidy or irregular way.

It's often used of constructions/settlements - built over a wide area in a way that is ugly or not carefully planned. a sprawling city. But you can build a website, so I don't see why a "loose" layout shouldn't be sprawling.


These are words I have used to critique websites with the same issue you have described:

  • Disconnected
  • Lost
  • Floating
  • Uncoordinated
  • Fractured