tenuous

adjective

ten·​u·​ous ˈten-yə-wəs How to pronounce tenuous (audio)
-yü-əs
Synonyms of tenuousnext
1
a
: having little substance or strength : flimsy, weak
tenuous influences
b
: shaky sense 2a
tenuous reasons
2
: not thick : slender
a tenuous rope
3
: not dense : rare
a tenuous fluid
tenuously adverb
tenuousness noun

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What is the Definition of tenuous?

Something tenuous has been stretched thin and might break at any time. A person with a tenuous hold on his sanity should be watched carefully. If a business is only tenuously surviving, it will probably go bankrupt in the next recession. If there seems to be only a tenuous connection between two crimes, it means the investigators have more work to do.

Choose the Right Synonym for tenuous

thin, slender, slim, slight, tenuous mean not thick, broad, abundant, or dense.

thin implies comparatively little extension between surfaces or in diameter, or it may imply lack of substance, richness, or abundance.

thin wire
a thin soup

slender implies leanness or spareness often with grace and good proportion.

the slender legs of a Sheraton chair

slim applies to slenderness that suggests fragility or scantiness.

a slim volume of poetry
a slim chance

slight implies smallness as well as thinness.

a slight build

tenuous implies extreme thinness, sheerness, or lack of substance and firmness.

a tenuous thread

Examples of tenuous in a Sentence

What is also true is that they, and I, were lucky, through genes or fate, to surge through the maelstrom of dashed hope and denied opportunity to grasp a tenuous piece of the American Dream. — Anthony Walton, Lure and Loathing, 1993
After the end of the crusading period, however relations between East and West had grown tenuous … — Albert Hourani, Islam in European Thought, 1991
The authors follow researchers as they use the slimmest leads and the most tenuous connections to track the genes for Huntington's disease, muscular dystrophy, schizophrenia and a host of other physical and mental miseries. — Natalie Angier, New York Times Book Review, 12 Aug. 1990
He has a tenuous grasp on reality.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
As of now, Johnson has a GOP-only path to passing the funding patch, though the vote will be tenuous given his two-seat margin. — David Sivak, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 11 Mar. 2025 The board member could recuse themself from a vote on the contract or the board could decide the relationship with the business is tenuous and poses no conflict, experts said. — Ishani Desai, Sacramento Bee, 10 Mar. 2025 By late January, the club’s grasp on a playoff spot was tenuous and the team appeared to be spiralling. — Thomas Drance, The Athletic, 8 Mar. 2025 That something was a reference to the tenuous state of the team’s overall health — with large swaths of the roster, players have noted in hindsight, playing at far less than 100% during the club’s run to a championship. — Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 4 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for tenuous

Word History

Etymology

Latin tenuis "fine-drawn, thin, narrow, slight" + -ous — more at thin entry 1

First Known Use

1597, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Time Traveler
The first known use of tenuous was in 1597

Browse Nearby Words

tenuous
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Cite this Entry

“Tenuous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tenuous. Accessed 23 Mar. 2025.

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Kids Definition

tenuous

adjective
ten·​u·​ous ˈten-yə-wəs How to pronounce tenuous (audio)
: having little substance or strength : flimsy, weak
a tenuous hold on reality
tenuously adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on tenuous

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for tenuous

Nglish: Translation of tenuous for Spanish Speakers

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