tenuous

American  

[ten-yoo-uhs] / ˈtɛn yu əs /

adjective

1. lacking a sound basis, as reasoning; unsubstantiated; weak.

   a tenuous argument.

2. of slight importance or significance.

   He holds a rather tenuous position in history.

   Synonyms:

   trifling, trivial, insignificant

   Antonyms:

   substantial, important

3. lacking in clarity; vague.

   He gave a rather tenuous account of his past life.

4. thin or slender in form, as a thread.

   Synonyms:

   attenuated

   Antonyms:

   thick

5. thin in consistency; rare or rarefied.

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tenuous British  

/ ˈtɛnjʊəs, tɛˈnjʊɪtɪ /

adjective

1. insignificant or flimsy

   a tenuous argument

2. slim, fine, or delicate

   a tenuous thread

3. diluted or rarefied in consistency or density

   a tenuous fluid

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Other Word Forms

• tenuity noun
• tenuously adverb
• tenuousness noun
• untenuous adjective
• untenuously adverb
• untenuousness noun

Etymology

Origin of tenuous

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

Explanation

If something is tenuous it's thin, either literally or metaphorically. If you try to learn a complicated mathematical concept by cramming for 45 minutes, you will have a tenuous grasp of that concept, at best. Tenuous comes from the Latin word tenuis, for thin, and is related to our word tender. Something can be physically tenuous, like a spiderweb or ice on a pond. We more often use it in a metaphorical sense, to talk about weak ideas. Tenuous arguments won't win any debate tournaments. Synonyms for tenuous, also used physically or metaphorically, are flimsy and shaky.

Example Sentences

A formative introduction to the internet’s tenuous rules for engagement happened when I was 13.

From Salon • Apr. 12, 2026

A consistent rally during a very fragile cease-fire seems like a tenuous prospect.

From Barron's • Apr. 10, 2026

But as the tenuous ceasefire remains in place, there is little evidence of any significant result for Trump on the nuclear issue.

From BBC • Apr. 9, 2026

The Strait of Hormuz remains essentially closed, with more than 800 ships still stranded in the Persian Gulf and only eight vessels, mostly dry-bulk vessels, passing through since the tenuous cease-fire between the U.S.,

From MarketWatch • Apr. 9, 2026

Either one would provide only the most tenuous sympathetic link to my lute string: one percent at best, perhaps only a tenth of that.

From "The Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss

Related Words

• delicate
• dubious
• flimsy
• insubstantial
• nebulous
• questionable
• shaky
• sketchy