tenuous
Say it: TEN-yoo-us /ˈtɛnjuəs/ · adjective
What “tenuous” means
Very weak and easy to doubt or break.
More precisely: Very weak or slight; easily broken or doubted.
Example: “The link between the ad campaign and the sales spike is tenuous at best.”
When to use it
For a weak connection, claim or hold that may not last, often in careful discussion or mild criticism.
Memory trick
Latin tenuis means thin: picture a claim hanging by a thread.
Similar words
weak, flimsy, shaky
Where it comes from
From Latin tenuis, "thin."
Quick check
You blame your poor exam result on one cloudy morning, with almost nothing connecting the two. The link is…
tenuous or conclusive?
Show the answer
tenuous
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