tenacious
Americanadjective
-
holding fast; characterized by keeping a firm hold (often followed byof ).
a tenacious grip on my arm; tenacious of old habits.
-
highly retentive.
a tenacious memory.
-
persistent, stubborn, or obstinate.
- Synonyms:
- obstinate, persistent, pertinacious, dogged
-
adhesive or sticky; viscous or glutinous.
- Synonyms:
- clingy
-
holding together; cohesive; not easily pulled asunder; tough.
adjective
-
holding or grasping firmly; forceful
a tenacious grip
-
retentive
a tenacious memory
-
stubborn or persistent
a tenacious character
-
holding together firmly; tough or cohesive
tenacious cement
-
tending to stick or adhere
tenacious mud
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of tenacious
First recorded in 1600–10; tenaci(ty) + -ous
Explanation
Use tenacious to mean "not easily letting go or giving up," like a clingy child who has a tenacious grip on his mother's hand. A strong grip or an unyielding advocate might both be described as tenacious, a word whose synonyms include resolute, firm, and persistent. The word comes from the Latin root tenax, which means "holding fast." The basketball commentator Marv Albert, impressed by a defender's skill, once uttered the sound bite, "That's some tenacious D!" ("D" is short for "defense.") The musicians Jack Black and Kyle Gass borrowed the phrase for the name of their comedy-rock band, Tenacious D.
Vocabulary lists containing tenacious
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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.
But more often, Moore has the grit and tenacious determination that it takes to deserve the mother title.
From Salon • May 10, 2026
One tenacious fallacy about Shakespeare is that his speeches are always clotted with gargantuan words; Macbeth’s “multitudinous seas incarnadine” is a classic example.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 22, 2026
During a phone call with her son Joe Bennett, from Folkestone in Kent, Foreman said the prisoners she was with were "so resilient, so tenacious".
From BBC • Mar. 26, 2026
“Katie’s a very tenacious, self-assured individual,” recalled Jordan Ball, who was a senator for the opposition party.
From Slate • Dec. 18, 2025
“Mercer Day’s number two is a tenacious defender! It is going to be hard to get the ball to Majidi under that kind of pressure.”
From "Here to Stay" by Sara Farizan
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.
