TENUOUS


Meaning of TENUOUS in English

ˈtenyəwəs adjective

Etymology: Latin tenuis thin, slight, tenuous — more at thin

1. : not dense : having a thin consistency : rare

as tenuous as a comet's trail — A.M.Young

2. : not thick : slender , slim

lowering himself down rocky ravines with a tenuous nylon rope — Sydney (Australia) Bulletin

write it in tenuous , trailing letters — P.M.Hollister

3.

a. : having little substance or strength : flimsy , insignificant , weak

a tenuous idealism lost touch with reality — Laurence Binyon

the character of his physical strength — E.H.Blashfield

b. : not firmly based or supported

the seeds sprout slowly, and take tenuous root — Fred Rodell

tenuous growth that will wither beneath the hot winds of summer — George Farwell

c. : not definite, sharp, or clear-cut : hazy , vague

impossible to analyze all the tenuous influences at work — American Guide Series: Mich

Synonyms: see thin

Webster's New International English Dictionary.      Новый международный словарь английского языка Webster.