Thesaurus results for TENUOUS

Q: How does the adjective 'tenuous' contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of tenuous are slender , slight , slim , and thin . While all these words mean "not thick, broad, abundant, or dense," tenuous implies extreme thinness, sheerness, or lack of substance and firmness. // a tenuous thread

Q: Where would 'slender' be a reasonable alternative to 'tenuous'?

The meanings of slender and tenuous largely overlap; however, slender implies leanness or spareness often with grace and good proportion. // the slender legs of a Sheraton chair

Q: When could 'slight' be used to replace 'tenuous'?

While in some cases nearly identical to tenuous , slight implies smallness as well as thinness. // a slight build

Q: When is 'slim' a more appropriate choice than 'tenuous'?

The synonyms slim and tenuous are sometimes interchangeable, but slim applies to slenderness that suggests fragility or scantiness. // a slim volume of poetry // a slim chance

Q: In what contexts can 'thin' take the place of 'tenuous'?

The words thin and tenuous are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, thin implies comparatively little extension between surfaces or in diameter, or it may imply lack of substance, richness, or abundance. // thin wire // a thin soup

tenuous

adjective

Definition of tenuous next

as in fragile

lacking strength, permanence, or resilience The countries formed a tenuous political alliance. The moon has a tenuous atmosphere that frequently fluctuates in thickness.

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How does the adjective tenuous contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of tenuous are slender, slight, slim, and thin. While all these words mean "not thick, broad, abundant, or dense," tenuous implies extreme thinness, sheerness, or lack of substance and firmness.

a tenuous thread

Where would slender be a reasonable alternative to tenuous?

The meanings of slender and tenuous largely overlap; however, slender implies leanness or spareness often with grace and good proportion.

the slender legs of a Sheraton chair

When could slight be used to replace tenuous?

While in some cases nearly identical to tenuous, slight implies smallness as well as thinness.

a slight build

When is slim a more appropriate choice than tenuous?

The synonyms slim and tenuous are sometimes interchangeable, but slim applies to slenderness that suggests fragility or scantiness.

a slim volume of poetry

a slim chance

In what contexts can thin take the place of tenuous?

The words thin and tenuous are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, thin implies comparatively little extension between surfaces or in diameter, or it may imply lack of substance, richness, or abundance.

thin wire

a thin soup

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of tenuous The central authority of the emperor became tenuous, and non-Muslim communities such as the Sikhs and Rajputs rebelled against Aurangzeb’s policies. —

Encyclopedia Britannica, 14 Apr. 2026 These worlds, based on their sizes, masses, and distances from the dominant source of light and heat in our Solar System (the Sun), can only hold onto, at most, tenuous, thin atmospheres. —

Big Think, 14 Apr. 2026 And people with single-pane windows, already in a tenuous position, saw their risk of being unable to afford their energy costs rise by 7 percentage points. —

Diana Hernández, The Conversation, 14 Apr. 2026 The talk of the newsroom this morning is why Wall Street rallied and oil prices retreated on what could be considered very tenuous indications that diplomatic progress is being made. —

Leonie Kidd, CNBC, 14 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for tenuous

Recent Examples of Synonyms for tenuous

Adjective

The discussions follow last Tuesday’s historic meeting between Israeli Ambassador Yechiel Leiter and Lebanese Ambassador Nada Hamadeh, attended by Rubio, which were the first direct negotiations between the two countries in decades and resulted in the agreement for a fragile 10-day ceasefire.

— Sean Nevin, NBC news, 24 Apr. 2026
Israel and Lebanon are due to begin a second round of peace talks Thursday, as the Israeli military and Iranian-backed Hezbollah accuse each other of breaching their fragile ceasefire.

— CBS News, CBS News, 23 Apr. 2026