adjective
tenuous
TEHN-yoo-uhs
adjective
1
Weak, flimsy, or barely holding together; lacking a solid basis.
"The prosecution's case rested on tenuous evidence at best."
"Their friendship had become tenuous after years of drifting apart."
How to Use Tenuous
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishWeak and shaky — barely holding together, whether that's an argument, a connection, or a situation.
Common pairings
a tenuous link
tenuous evidence
a tenuous grasp
Word Forms
more tenuous comparative, most tenuous superlative
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The prosecution's case rested on _____ evidence at best.
Etymology
From Latin tenuis ("thin, slight") + -ous.