What is the dictionary definition of tenuous?

What is the dictionary definition of tenuous?

adjective. lacking a sound basis, as reasoning; unsubstantiated; weak: a tenuous argument. of slight importance or significance: He holds a rather tenuous position in history. lacking in clarity; vague: He gave a rather tenuous account of his past life. thin or slender in form, as a thread.

What does tenuous mean in a relationship?

From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishten‧u‧ous /ˈtenjuəs/ adjective 1 a situation or relationship that is tenuous is uncertain, weak, or likely to change For now, the band’s travel plans are tenuous.

What are synonyms for tenuous?

Some common synonyms of tenuous are slender, slight, slim, and thin. While all these words mean “not thick, broad, abundant, or dense,” tenuous implies extreme thinness, sheerness, or lack of substance and firmness.

What is tenuous situation?

If you describe something such as a connection, a reason, or someone’s position as tenuous, you mean that it is very uncertain or weak.

Is tenuous at best?

If something is tenuous it’s thin, either literally or metaphorically. If you try to learn a complicated mathematical concept by cramming for 45 minutes, you will have a tenuous grasp of that concept, at best. Tenuous comes from the Latin word tenuis, for thin, and is related to our word tender.

How do you use tenuous in a sentence?

Tenuous Sentence Examples

  1. I had little doubt Quinn would tell Howie, disrupting his tenuous relationship with Julie.
  2. Sarah broke the silence with a tenuous giggle that evoked a twisted smile from Jackson.
  3. He felt his grip on reality was becoming increasingly tenuous.

Can a relationship be tenuous?

used when referring to romantic relationship, but also in a larger meaning: He hit it off with his teacher; he will continue taking classes with her.

Can a person be described as tenuous?

What is the Definition of tenuous? Something tenuous has been stretched thin and might break at any time. A person with a tenuous hold on his sanity should be watched carefully.

What is a tenuous agreement?

DEFINITIONS1. weak and likely to change. a tenuous agreement/connection. Synonyms and related words. Able to be changed and lasting only a short time.

What is a tenuous atmosphere?

Defining Tenuous Atmospheres: characterized by a collisionless gas with exobase at the surface. The above source claims tenuous atmospheres can also be defined as exospheres. Here’s a definition for exospheres: an atmosphere so thin that its few atoms or molecules are unlikely to collide with one another.

What does a tenuous atmosphere mean?

Here’s a definition for exospheres: an atmosphere so thin that its few atoms or molecules are unlikely to collide with one another.

What does the word’tenuous’mean in a sentence?

If you describe something such as a connection, a reason, or someone’s position as tenuous, you mean that it is very uncertain or weak . The cultural and historical links between the many provinces were seen to be very tenuous.

What does tenous mean?

(tĕn′yo͞o-əs) adj. 1. a. Weak or insubstantial; flimsy: a tenuous argument; a tenuous link between pieces of evidence. b. Precarious or insecure: tenuous survival.

Which is an example of a tenuous existence?

The local theater has had a tenuous existence in recent years. He could demonstrate only a tenuous claim to ownership. Recent Examples on the Web Yet the link between hiding Thousand Talents affiliations and stealing research secrets may be tenuous.

What do you mean by tenuous grasp of reality?

The authors follow researchers as they use the slimmest leads and the most tenuous connections to track the genes for Huntington’s disease, muscular dystrophy, schizophrenia and a host of other physical and mental miseries. — Natalie Angier, New York Times Book Review, 12 Aug. 1990 He has a tenuous grasp on reality.