Pronunciations (3)
-
/ˈtɛ.njʊ.əs/
Pronunciation notes
- Received-Pronunciation
-
/ˈtɛn.ju.əs/
Pronunciation notes
- General-American
-
ˈtɛn.ju.əs
Adjective
Thin in substance or consistency.
- Examples
-
The aether was thought to be of tenuous strands.
Far from being amicable, the numbers seemed to turn their backs on each other, and I couldn't find a pair with even the most tenuous connection.
Insubstantial.
- Synonyms
- Examples
-
His argument was not convincing in the debate, considering how tenuous it was.
More examples (1)
July 18 2012, Scott Tobias, AV Club The Dark Knight Rises Picking up eight years after The Dark Knight left off, the film finds Gotham enjoying a tenuous peace based on Harvey Dent’s moral ideals rather than the ugly truth of his demise.
Precarious, dependent upon unreliable things.
- Examples
-
More examples (2)
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.
Is this connected to "pro-gay" Governor Weld's contract with some in the community—gay rights in exchange for keeping sex out of the picture? Those willing to make this 'bargain with the devil' depend for their tenuous status on keeping the rest of us in line, moralizing about the need to behave "beyond reproach," clarifying to the straight public that there are good gays and bad ones.
Adjective
having thin consistency
- Examples
-
a tenuous fluid
very thin in gauge or diameter
- Examples
-
a tenuous thread
lacking substance or significance
- Examples
-
slight evidence
a tenuous argument
More examples (2)
a thin plot
a fragile claim to fame