Meaning & use
tenuous
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Meaning
adjectivecomparable
Weak, uncertain, or based on very little evidence or support.
Grammar: Common after linking verbs and before nouns: the link is tenuous; a tenuous link.
Patterns
- tenuous connection
- tenuous link
- tenuous evidence
- tenuous grip
The police case rested on a tenuous connection between the suspects.
Her argument was interesting but tenuous at best.
He kept a tenuous grip on the wet rope.
Common combinations
- tenuous connection
- The report showed only a tenuous connection between income and happiness.
- tenuous evidence
- The theory is built on tenuous evidence from small samples.
- tenuous link
- There may be a tenuous link between diet and sleep quality.
- tenuous grip
- The climber held a tenuous grip on the ledge.
- tenuous at best
- The comparison between the novels is tenuous at best.
Synonyms and how they differ
- flimsy
- Often used for evidence or excuses; suggests easily collapsed under scrutiny.
- weak
- General and broad; tenuous is more formal and often describes connections.
- precarious
- Better for dangerous instability, such as a position or situation, not mainly logic.
Opposites
Word family
- tenuously adverb
- In a weak or uncertain way.
- tenuousness noun
- The quality of being slight or insecure.
Commonly confused: tenuous or tenacious? tenuous or tedious?
tenuous vs tenacious
Tenacious means holding firmly and not giving up, almost the opposite of tenuous.
tenuous vs tedious
Tedious means boring or too long; it differs in spelling and meaning.
Practice
Choose the correct sentence.
Choose one answer.
Tenuous evidence is slight and gives weak support. Tenacious means persistent, tedious means boring, and sheer means total or transparent.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “tenuous”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.