Tenuous
/ˈtɛn.ju.əs/ adj
adj ·Common ·High school level
Definitions
Adjective
- 1 Thin in substance or consistency.
"The aether was thought to be of tenuous strands."
- 2 Insubstantial.
"His argument was not convincing in the debate, considering how tenuous it was."
- 3 Precarious, dependent upon unreliable things.
"Paulina's repeated, almost anxious iteration of the lawfulness of her actions serves as a reminder of women's tenuous stance before the law in early modern English society."
Adjective
- 1 lacking substance or significance wordnet
- 2 very thin in gauge or diameter wordnet
- 3 having thin consistency wordnet
Antonyms
All antonymsExample
More examples"Relations are tenuous as peace talks resume between warring factions."
Etymology
Irregularly formed from Latin tenuis (“thin, slight”) + -ous. Compare tenuious.