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View synonyms for tenuous

tenuous

[ ten-yoo-uhs ]

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.

    Synonyms: trifling, trivial, insignificant

    Antonyms: substantial, important

  3. lacking in clarity; vague:

    He gave a rather tenuous account of his past life.

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

    Synonyms: attenuated

    Antonyms: thick

  5. thin in consistency; rare or rarefied.


tenuous

/ ˈtɛnjʊəs; tɛˈnjʊɪtɪ /

adjective

  1. insignificant or flimsy

    a tenuous argument

  2. slim, fine, or delicate

    a tenuous thread

  3. diluted or rarefied in consistency or density

    a tenuous fluid

“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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Derived Forms

  • tenuity, noun
  • ˈtenuously, adverb
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Other Words From

  • 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
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Word History and Origins

Origin of tenuous1

First recorded in 1590–1600; tenu(ity) + -ous
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Word History and Origins

Origin of tenuous1

C16: from Latin tenuis
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Example Sentences

But here’s more good news: We are in the process of a free and fair election, upholding a democracy that has seemed tenuous at times these last few years.

Tenuous claims on Trump’s abortion positions aside, the group is also using Justice Ginsburg’s name and likeness without permission from her family.

From Salon

As for ostensible dangers flowing from the “Caroline” ad, those were so tenuous that they didn’t give the state the right to act against the ad either.

Nadim Houry, director of the Arab Reform Initiative think tank, said that the Israeli strike in the north — an area dominated by Sunni Muslim and Christian parties, including those against Hezbollah — shows there are no geographic limits to where Israel could bomb “regardless of how tenuous the connection with Hezbollah may be.”

He spoke of the difficulty the security service faces while dealing with "volatile, would-be terrorists with only a tenuous grip of ideologies".

From BBC

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tenuitytenure