tenuous

/ˈtɛn.ju.əs/ Formal

Say it: TEN-yoo-us

1. adjective Very weak, slight, or flimsy; having little substance or strength.
The prosecution's case was built on a tenuous link between the suspect and the crime scene.
2. adjective Extremely thin and delicate, like a fine thread.
A tenuous mist hung over the valley in the early morning.

📖 Seen in the wild

The link between the two events was tenuous, based on speculation rather than evidence.
collected by @vocablast

✏️ tenuous in a sentence

The ceasefire is tenuous, with both sides accusing the other of violations.
He has only a tenuous grasp of the complex legal issues involved.
For years, she maintained a tenuous connection to her homeland through old letters.
The company's claim to be environmentally friendly is tenuous at best.
A single, tenuous strand of spider silk was all that held the leaf.
His position in the government has always been tenuous.

🔁 Synonyms & antonyms

flimsy insubstantial slight shaky weak fragile delicate nebulous

flimsy · implies that something is easily broken, criticized, or disproven.

insubstantial · highlights a lack of reality, solidity, or importance.

slight · focuses on the smallness in degree or amount.

shaky · suggests instability and a high likelihood of failure.

Opposites: strong, solid, substantial, convincing, firm

🌱 Where it comes from

Tenuous stretches back to the Latin word 'tenuis', meaning 'thin'. This root is also related to 'tendere', 'to stretch', painting a picture of something pulled so thin it becomes weak. It entered English in the late 16th century, retaining its original sense of physical thinness before expanding to describe weak or insubstantial ideas and relationships.

🧩 How it's used

Common patterns:

tenuous linktenuous connectiontenuous grasptenuous holdtenuous relationship

Tenuous is a formal word most often used to describe abstract concepts like connections, arguments, claims, or relationships. While it can describe physical objects as being very thin, this usage is less common. Be careful not to confuse it with 'tentative', which means 'provisional' or 'unconfirmed'. A tenuous plan is a weak plan; a tentative plan is a provisional one.

Word family: tenuously, tenuousness, tenuity

💬 Quick answers

What does tenuous mean in simple terms?

It means something is very weak, flimsy, or thin, like a weak argument or a fragile connection.

What is the difference between tenuous and tentative?

Tenuous means weak or flimsy. Tentative means provisional or uncertain. A tenuous link is a weak one, while a tentative appointment is not yet confirmed.

Is tenuous a negative word?

Yes, it generally has a negative connotation, implying a lack of strength, substance, or reliability.

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