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tenuous

[ ten-yoo-uhs ]
/ ˈtɛn yu əs /
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See synonyms for: tenuous / tenuously on Thesaurus.com
adjective
lacking a sound basis, as reasoning; unsubstantiated; weak: a tenuous argument.
of slight importance or significance: He holds a rather tenuous position in history.
lacking in clarity; vague: He gave a rather tenuous account of his past life.
thin or slender in form, as a thread.
thin in consistency; rare or rarefied.
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Origin of tenuous

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

OTHER WORDS FROM tenuous

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Words related to tenuous

delicate, dubious, flimsy, insubstantial, nebulous, questionable, shaky, sketchy, aerial, airy, attenuate, doubtful, ethereal, fine, gossamer, insignificant, light, narrow, rare, rarefied

How to use tenuous in a sentence

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 of tenuous

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
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