Meaning & use

tenuous

adjective·Advanced

Weak, uncertain, or supported by very little evidence.

See it in a sentence

The claim rests on a tenuous link between two unrelated events.

With only one working battery, our contact with the camp was tenuous.

A note on using this word

Tenuous often describes a connection, argument, or hold on something. Do not confuse it with tenacious, which suggests holding on firmly.

Words with a similar meaning

weakfragileslight

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Words with an opposite meaning

strongfirm

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