/ ˈtenjuəs; NAmE / adjective
1.
so weak or uncertain that it hardly exists :
a tenuous hold on life
His links with the organization turned out to be, at best, tenuous.
2.
extremely thin and easily broken
► tenu·ous·ly adverb
••
WORD ORIGIN
late 16th cent.: formed irregularly from Latin tenuis thin + -ous .