tenaciously
Americanadverb
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in a strong, tight, or secure manner.
With its creeping roots and clawed tendrils, the invasive cat’s claw vine clings tenaciously to almost any surface.
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in a persistent or stubborn manner.
Traditional pastoralist societies have tenaciously held on to their customs and rituals in the face of tremendous pressure from governments bent on development.
Other Word Forms
- overtenaciously adverb
- untenaciously adverb
Etymology
Origin of tenaciously
Vocabulary lists containing tenaciously
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Sarat argued that cases like Williams' push the country closer toward one day ending the death penalty, despite some states "tenaciously clinging" to it.
From Salon • Sep. 27, 2024
Short on time, Black defends tenaciously and nearly claws back into the game: 25.
From Washington Times • Nov. 7, 2023
First he had to pry off an interloper: a limpet, a coin-size, hat-shaped snail that normally clings tenaciously to tidal zone rocks but had taken up residence on the gray epoxy seal protecting the sensor.
From Science Magazine • Nov. 1, 2023
That ability to stick tenaciously to his talking points should make him a perfect fit for the Navy’s Public Affairs Office, where he has been assigned.
From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 6, 2023
Skepticism is one of the few remnants of our bookish past, and most of us hold on to it tenaciously.
From "An Ember in the Ashes" by Sabaa Tahir
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
