tenuous

[ ten-yoo-uhs ]
See synonyms for: tenuoustenuously on Thesaurus.com

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.

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

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

  3. thin in consistency; rare or rarefied.

Origin of tenuous

1
First recorded in 1590–1600; tenu(ity) + -ous

Other words for tenuous

Opposites for tenuous

Other words from tenuous

  • ten·u·ous·ly, adverb
  • ten·u·ous·ness, noun
  • un·ten·u·ous, adjective
  • un·ten·u·ous·ly, adverb
  • un·ten·u·ous·ness, noun

Words Nearby tenuous

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use tenuous in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for tenuous

tenuous

/ (ˈtɛnjʊəs) /


adjective
  1. insignificant or flimsy: a tenuous argument

  2. slim, fine, or delicate: a tenuous thread

  1. diluted or rarefied in consistency or density: a tenuous fluid

Origin of tenuous

1
C16: from Latin tenuis

Derived forms of tenuous

  • tenuity (tɛˈnjʊɪtɪ) or tenuousness, noun
  • tenuously, adverb

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