tenuous
Americanadjective
-
lacking a sound basis, as reasoning; unsubstantiated; weak.
a tenuous argument.
-
of slight importance or significance.
He holds a rather tenuous position in history.
- Synonyms:
- trifling, trivial, insignificant
- Antonyms:
- substantial, important
-
lacking in clarity; vague.
He gave a rather tenuous account of his past life.
-
thin or slender in form, as a thread.
- Synonyms:
- attenuated
- Antonyms:
- thick
-
thin in consistency; rare or rarefied.
adjective
-
insignificant or flimsy
a tenuous argument
-
slim, fine, or delicate
a tenuous thread
-
diluted or rarefied in consistency or density
a tenuous fluid
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of tenuous
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.
Vocabulary lists containing tenuous
Essential Academic Vocabulary for High School Students, List 2
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Grade 12, List 1
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
100 SAT Words Beginning with "T"
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
While the characters have only a tenuous connection to the theme of vehicles, the original costumes they’re modeling are enchanting in their candor.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 8, 2026
Adam Baron, a fellow at US-based think tank New America, said the Houthi offensive since Thursday had "shattered much of what was left of Yemen's tenuous ceasefire".
From Barron's ● Sep. 6, 2026
Entry-level jobs pay relatively little, job security is tenuous and the math of going out matters.
From Salon ● Aug. 15, 2026
But companies, and individuals, using AI systems often have a tenuous grasp on just how many tokens they are burning through – until they either run out or get their monthly bill.
From BBC ● Aug. 3, 2026
How unassailable the citadel looked from below, she thought, and yet how tenuous their life was in it.
From "Strange the Dreamer" by Laini Taylor
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions 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.
