tenuous

[ ten-yoo-uhs ]

/ ˈtɛn yu əs /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR tenuous ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

thin or slender in form, as a thread.

lacking a sound basis, as reasoning; unsubstantiated; weak: a tenuous argument.

thin in consistency; rare or rarefied.

of slight importance or significance; unsubstantial: He holds a rather tenuous position in history.

lacking in clarity; vague: He gave a rather tenuous account of his past life.

Nearby words

tentorium, tentorium cerebelli, tenty, tenuis, tenuity, tenuous, tenure, tenure-track, tenured, tenuto, tenzing

Origin of tenuous

First recorded in 1590–1600; tenu(ity) + -ous

SYNONYMS FOR tenuous

1 attenuated.

4 insignificant, unimportant, trivial, trifling.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR tenuous ON THESAURUS.COM

ANTONYMS FOR tenuous

1 thick.

4 important, substantial.

SEE MORE ANTONYMS FOR tenuous ON THESAURUS.COM

Related forms

ten·u·ous·ly, adverbten·u·ous·ness, nounun·ten·u·ous, adjectiveun·ten·u·ous·ly, adverb

un·ten·u·ous·ness, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for tenuous

Her hold on her position at the hospital—and thus, her survival—is tenuous and she knows it.
The Walking Dead’s ‘Crossed’: The Stage Is Now Set for a Bloody, Deadly Midseason Finale|Melissa Leon|November 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Perhaps his reluctance stems from the fact that he has only tenuous connections to Hungary these days.
In Hands of Hungarian Artist, Jewish Home Movies of the ’30s a Warning of Coming Holocaust|Daniel Genis|October 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Though there are many claims that implicate it in improved brain function, the evidence in support of this finding is tenuous.
Fish Oil, Turmeric, and Ginseng, Oh My! Are ‘Brain Foods’ B.S.?|Dr. Anand Veeravagu, MD|October 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The relationship between law and ethics, from Selma to Ferguson, is tenuous, and often contentious.
The Unsung Heroism of Jesse Jackson|David Masciotra|September 7, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Security in the town appeared to be tenuous at best, though, with continued reports of potential suicide bombers.
Are American Troops Already Fighting on the Front Lines in Iraq?|Ford Sypher|September 2, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Then as she mechanically held the tenuous death-warrant in her pulseless fingers, her eyes fell on an item just finished.
Destiny|Charles Neville Buck
Mortals do not merely like each other because they like each other; such a bond is tenuous as a spider's thread.
Little Journeys to the Homes of the Great, Volume 4 (of 14)|Elbert Hubbard
The tie that bound me to Aileen was indefinable, tenuous, not to be phrased; yet none the less it existed.
A Daughter of Raasay|William MacLeod Raine
Caroline drifted finally into the chamber back of the dining room, and they could hear the tenuous vibrations of the clavichord.
The Three Black Pennys|Joseph Hergesheimer
Information on basic nonferrous ore reserves is tenuous and, in part, conflicting.
Area Handbook for Romania|Eugene K. Keefe, Donald W. Bernier, Lyle E. Brenneman, William Giloane, James M. Moore, and Neda A. Walpole

British Dictionary definitions for tenuous

tenuous

/ (ˈtɛnjʊəs) /

adjective

insignificant or flimsya tenuous argument

slim, fine, or delicatea tenuous thread

diluted or rarefied in consistency or densitya tenuous fluid

Derived Forms

tenuity (tɛˈnjʊɪtɪ) or tenuousness, nountenuously, adverb

Word Origin for tenuous

C16: from Latin tenuis

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012