tenacity

[ tuh-nas-i-tee ]

noun

1. the quality of being tenacious, or of holding fast; persistence:

   the amazing tenacity of rumors.

2. the quality of retaining something:

   the tenacity of memory.

3. the quality or property of holding together firmly:

   testing the tenacity of the old book's binding.

Other Words From

• over·te·naci·ty noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of tenacity¹

First recorded in 1520–30; from Latin tenācitās equivalent to tenāc- (stem of tenāx ) “holding fast,” derivative of tenēre “to hold” + -itās -ity ( def )

Synonym Study

See perseverance.

Example Sentences

“Hey, Tim Ryan stooge, you’ve got some tenacity, and I appreciate that,” JD said, offering me a slushie.

From Salon

Then, JD delivered an answer into my camera — aimed at Tim Ryan — that I’m still surprised by: “Tim, in the off chance you actually see these videos, this guy has got some tenacity. The surfboard guy’s low-IQ, low-humor, so you gotta give this guy a promotion. Give the surfboard guy the boot, man.”

From Salon

At one point, he even looked directly into my camera to tell Ryan I deserved a promotion for my “tenacity.”

From Salon

Not every voter has Howard-Elley’s tenacity, or news organizations asking persistent questions about how their case was handled.

From Salon

Their tenacity saw them pick up the New Entrant Award: Against the Odds at the British Farming Awards ceremony in Birmingham.

From BBC

Related Words

• chutzpah
• courage
• determination
• firmness
• grit
• guts
• perseverance
• persistence
• spunk
• steadfastness