tenacity

noun

te·​nac·​i·​ty tə-ˈna-sə-tē 

: the quality or state of being tenacious

Choose the Right Synonym for tenacity

courage, mettle, spirit, resolution, tenacity mean mental or moral strength to resist opposition, danger, or hardship.

courage implies firmness of mind and will in the face of danger or extreme difficulty.

the courage to support unpopular causes

mettle suggests an ingrained capacity for meeting strain or difficulty with fortitude and resilience.

a challenge that will test your mettle

spirit also suggests a quality of temperament enabling one to hold one's own or keep up one's morale when opposed or threatened.

her spirit was unbroken by failure

resolution stresses firm determination to achieve one's ends.

the resolution of pioneer women

tenacity adds to resolution implications of stubborn persistence and unwillingness to admit defeat.

held to their beliefs with great tenacity

Examples of tenacity in a Sentence

If there is a particular tenacity in Islamist forms of terrorism today, this is a product not of Islamic scripture but of the current historical circumstance that many Muslims live in places of intense political conflict. —Max Rodenbeck, New York Book Review, 30 Nov. 2006

… everything about a person, even the most blameless of facts, can have the sticky tenacity of a secret. —Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 12 Aug. 2002

A tribute to tenacity, the free ascent of Trango Tower was the fulfillment of a cowboy climber's dream. —Todd Skinner, National Geographic, April 1996

Recent Examples on the Web

Sisu and Löyly Grand Marais, Minnesota Sisu is a Finnish word evoking grit and tenacity—fitting for Minnesotans as well. —Julia Sayers Gokhale, Midwest Living, 9 Jan. 2026

His tenacity in midfield acted as the perfect foil for the likes of Glenn Hoddle and Ossie Ardiles. —Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 9 Jan. 2026

As in Samuel Beckett’s tragicomic theater and novels, Tarr’s movies, by turns funny and heartbreaking, dignify human struggle with a tenacity of vision and empathy. —John Penner, Los Angeles Times, 8 Jan. 2026

Renowned for his intelligence, tenacity, and forechecking, Bob played a vital role in Stanley Cup championships in 1962, 1963, 1964, and 1967 — including scoring the Game Three double-overtime game-winner in the 1967 Final. —Ryan Canfield, FOXNews.com, 6 Jan. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English tenacite, borrowed from Middle French tenacité, borrowed from Latin tenācitāt-, tenācitās, from tenāc-, tenāx "holding fast, tenacious" + -itāt- -itās -ity

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for tenacity

• audacity
• capacity
• loquacity
• mendacity
• opacity
• pugnacity
• rapacity
• sagacity
• veracity
• vivacity
• voracity
• incapacity

Kids Definition

tenacity

noun

te·​nac·​i·​ty tə-ˈnas-ət-ē 

: the quality or state of being tenacious