tenuous
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.
Origin of tenuous
1Other words for tenuous
4 | attenuated |
2 | insignificant, unimportant, trivial, trifling |
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
The nation’s most popular and prosperous pro sports league wouldn’t allow even that tenuous link between its players and bettors, citing a policy prohibiting appearances associated with gambling establishments.
The NFL once viewed sports betting as a threat. Now the league wants the action. | Ben Strauss, Mark Maske | August 25, 2021 | Washington PostThe gains were real, if uneven and often tenuous, undermined by the insecurity that the decades-long conflict brought.
Climbing it involves a tenuous balance of keeping her feet high enough to maintain friction but low enough to push upward.
Emily Harrington Made History on El Cap. She’s Still Ascending. | jversteegh | July 26, 2021 | Outside OnlinePerhaps unsurprisingly, given the tenuous grasp on reality enjoyed by virtually everyone involved, it’s not clear that an Arizona-audit is even possible in the Peach State.
The Motley Crew Dying to Send Georgia Back to ‘Stop the Steal’ Hell | Adam Rawnsley, Kelly Weill | May 21, 2021 | The Daily BeastThis was apparent in real time as officials touted tenuous or unproven links to antifa even as Justice Department arrests failed to bolster that idea.
Even the terrorist threat to the United States is now partisan | Philip Bump | May 20, 2021 | Washington Post
Her hold on her position at the hospital—and thus, her survival—is tenuous and she knows it.
The Walking Dead’s ‘Crossed’: The Stage Is Now Set for a Bloody, Deadly Midseason Finale | Melissa Leon | November 24, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTPerhaps his reluctance stems from the fact that he has only tenuous connections to Hungary these days.
In Hands of Hungarian Artist, Jewish Home Movies of the ’30s a Warning of Coming Holocaust | Daniel Genis | October 25, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTThis new, although tenuous, dialogue with Iran offers real possibilities for change.
It’s Time to Nail the Iran Nuke Deal | Rep. Rush Holt, Kate Gould | October 15, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTThough there are many claims that implicate it in improved brain function, the evidence in support of this finding is tenuous.
Fish Oil, Turmeric, and Ginseng, Oh My! Are ‘Brain Foods’ B.S.? | Dr. Anand Veeravagu, MD | October 10, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTThe relationship between law and ethics, from Selma to Ferguson, is tenuous, and often contentious.
Nancy tried to forget what life was, and smiled and blossomed in tenuous sunrise beauty.
The Devourers | Annie Vivanti ChartresThe mind of man is ever the tenuous instrument upon which are playing the invisible forces of inspiration.
Spirit and Music | H. Ernest HuntUp to the very edge of that life-giving blast of mineral-laden gas the tenuous creatures came crowding.
Astounding Stories, April, 1931 | VariousAs they fell on the front ranks of the charging Terrestrials, the form, on which the rays impinged grew suddenly tenuous.
Giants on the Earth | Sterner St. Paul MeekIn other spots, drooping above the walls could be seen the giant fronds of banana plants, or tenuous palm tree tops.
The Ocean Wireless Boys and the Lost Liner | Wilbur Lawton
British Dictionary definitions for tenuous
/ (ˈtɛnjʊəs) /
insignificant or flimsy: a tenuous argument
slim, fine, or delicate: a tenuous thread
diluted or rarefied in consistency or density: a tenuous fluid
Origin of tenuous
1Derived 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
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