Word origins - 2ed. J. Ayto. 2005.
tenuous — ► ADJECTIVE 1) very slight or insubstantial: a tenuous distinction. 2) very slender or fine. DERIVATIVES tenuously adverb tenuousness noun. ORIGIN Latin tenuis thin … English terms dictionary
tenuous — [ten′yo͞o əs, ten′yə wəs] adj. [< L tenuis,THIN + OUS] 1. slender or fine, as a fiber 2. rare, as air at high altitudes; not dense 3. not substantial; slight; flimsy [tenuous evidence] tenuously adv. tenuousness n … English World dictionary
Tenuous — Ten u*ous, a. [L. tenuis thin. See {Thin}, and cf. {Tenuis}.] 1. Thin; slender; small; minute. [1913 Webster] 2. Rare; subtile; not dense; said of fluids. [1913 Webster] [1913 Webster] … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
tenuous — I adjective airy, attenuated, delicate, diminutive, fine, flimsy, illusory, inconsequential, infinitesimal, insignificant, little, miniature, minute, narrow, paltry, petty, scant, slender, slight, small, thin, tiny, trifling, trivial, unimportant … Law dictionary
tenuous — 1590s, irregularly formed from L. tenuis thin, from PIE root *ten to stretch (Cf. Skt. tanuh thin, lit. stretched out; see TENET (Cf. tenet)) + ous. The correct form with respect to the Latin is TENUIOUS (Cf. tenuious). The sense of having slight … Etymology dictionary
tenuous — *thin, rare, slender, slim, slight Analogous words: ethereal, aerial, *airy Antonyms: dense … New Dictionary of Synonyms
tenuous — [adj] weak, thin aerial, airy, attenuate, attenuated, delicate, doubtful, dubious, ethereal, fine, flimsy, gossamer, insignificant, insubstantial, light, narrow, nebulous, questionable, rare, rarefied, reedy, shaky, sketchy, slender, slight, slim … New thesaurus
tenuous — adjective Etymology: Latin tenuis thin, slight, tenuous more at thin Date: 1597 1. not dense ; rare < a tenuous fluid > 2. not thick ; slender < a tenuous rope > 3 … New Collegiate Dictionary
tenuous — ten|u|ous [ˈtenjuəs] adj [Date: 1500 1600; : Latin; Origin: tenuis thin, tenuous ] 1.) a situation or relationship that is tenuous is uncertain, weak, or likely to change ▪ For now, the band s travel plans are tenuous. tenuous link/connection etc … Dictionary of contemporary English
tenuous — tenuously, adv. tenuousness, n. /ten yooh euhs/, adj. 1. thin or slender in form, as a thread. 2. lacking a sound basis, as reasoning; unsubstantiated; weak: a tenuous argument. 3. thin in consistency; rare or rarefied. 4. of slight importance or … Universalium
tenuous — [[t]te̱njuəs[/t]] ADJ GRADED 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 … English dictionary
