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crowded: having a lot of people or too many people

We made our way through the crowded streets.

a crowded bar

The main beach can get really crowded in summer.

London was very crowded.

crowded with somebody In the spring the place is crowded with skiers.

uncrowded: not full of people

The beach was pleasantly uncrowded.

I don't think "uncrowded" is a complete opposite of "crowded". "Uncrowded" is simply "not full of people", it does not mean "very few people".

The opposite of "crowded" is "very few people"

What is the opposite of "crowded" ?

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While I might opine that "uncrowded" is indeed the opposite of "crowded," much like "unintelligent" is the opposite of "intelligent," you explain your position well and I do understand your question.

The thesaurus gives these antonyms: deserted, empty, imprecise, loose, uncongested, unfilled, and, yes, uncrowded.

Looking at the synonyms for deserted, I find barren, derelict, desolate, empty, forlorn, isolated, lonely, neglected, uninhabited and vacant.

You may wish to wander around in the thesaurus and dictionary to find a word that feels appropriate in the context in which you're using it. I use this one.

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  • "Almost deserted" seems like a good choice for the opposite sought. Another possibility is "sparsely peopled", although that sounds like the description of a territory.
    – Jack O'Flaherty
    Commented Mar 27, 2020 at 9:07
  • @JackO'Flaherty Yeah, you could bite the bullet and use two words. I thought of variations of "sparse" as well, with much the same feeling as yours.
    – BobRodes
    Commented Mar 27, 2020 at 9:10
  • I would call an island 'desolate' if it not only had few people, but also all buildings wrecked, trees uprooted, etc, by a natural disaster.
    – Michael Harvey
    Commented Mar 27, 2020 at 10:09
  • @MichaelHarvey Yes, so would I.
    – BobRodes
    Commented Mar 28, 2020 at 0:58
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This is very much a matter of style and intention. If I were describing Times Square in its current state, I would say it is desolate.

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  • If discussing a normally crowded place or e.g. town, you could say it was deserted.
    – Michael Harvey
    Commented Mar 27, 2020 at 8:39
  • That's not what 'desolate' means.
    – Michael Harvey
    Commented Mar 27, 2020 at 8:39
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    @MichaelHarvey desolate is listed as a synonym of deserted in the thesaurus. Both can mean deserted (desolation being potentially an effect of desertion), although the former carries a further connotation of sadness.
    – BobRodes
    Commented Mar 27, 2020 at 8:52
  • If somewhere is desolate it has nothing, not just no people.
    – Michael Harvey
    Commented Mar 27, 2020 at 12:41
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    @MichaelHarvey That is one definition. There are others, including "deprived or destitute of inhabitants; deserted; uninhabited." Kind of like, you know, Times Square in its current state. (See dictionary.com/browse/desolate.)
    – BobRodes
    Commented Mar 28, 2020 at 0:55

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