Tenuous: meaning, example and synonyms
Tenuousadj. Very weak or slight; having little substance or strength.
Example
The connection between the two ancient settlements is tenuous, resting on a single pottery fragment whose origin remains disputed.
- Part of speech
- adjective
- Synonyms
- weak, flimsy, slight, shaky
- Antonyms
- strong, solid, substantial, firm
- Memory tip
- Latin tenuis = "thin": a tenuous link hangs by a thin thread.
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Check yourself: Tenuous in context
The prosecution's case was ______, resting entirely on a single witness who admitted she had seen the suspect only briefly and from a distance.
Answer: tenuous. A case resting on one shaky witness is weak: tenuous. Irreproachable and unequivocal would mean a strong, clear case, and ineluctable (unavoidable) doesn't fit.
The agreement the two parties reached was ______, and observers expected the fragile truce to collapse at the first serious dispute.
Answer: tenuous. A fragile truce likely to collapse is tenuous. Irreproachable and unequivocal suggest a sound, clear deal; antagonistic describes people, not a weak agreement.