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
Derived 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
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Grade 12, List 1
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100 SAT Words Beginning with "T"
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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.
For these writers, Ms. Hruska observes, the premise of homeland was so tenuous that their work has been claimed by a country that, at the time of their deaths, did not even exist.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 15, 2026
But without the enormously impactful Doncic, his task has proven too tenuous, his responsibilities too unwieldy, his miracle too unworkable.
From Los Angeles Times • May 10, 2026
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
Polls consistently showed him with only a tenuous lead over Mitt Romney.
From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama
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.
