Synonyms of tenuous

tenuous

adjective

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.

Related Words

• fragile
• slight
• delicate
• shaky
• flimsy
• weak
• insubstantial
• unsubstantial
• frail
• fine
• breakable
• uncertain
• problematical
• dubious
• soft
• feeble
• problematic
• questionable
• frangible
• doubtful
• suspicious
• eggshell
• dainty
• suspect
• gossamer
• shady
• dodgy
• dubitable
• doubtable

Dissimilar Words

• substantial
• solid
• hard
• rigid
• unyielding
• firm
• elastic
• flexible
• resilient
• strong
• stretch
• rubbery
• springy
• supple
• tough
• sturdy
• unbreakable
• rubberlike
• stretchable
• infrangible
• nonbreakable

Synonym Chooser

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

Recent Examples of tenuous

President Trump says the U.S. will meet with Iran next week, as a tenuous ceasefire between Israel and Iran holds for now. —June 25, CBS News, 25 June 2025

Qatar closed its airspace on Monday after an Iranian attack on the Gulf nation, and, with a tenuous ceasefire brokered by President Donald Trump still in flux, tens of thousands of travelers remain stuck in Israel. —Lily Mae Lazarus, Fortune, 25 June 2025

The death of George Floyd and the protests that followed show just how tenuous, and how vital, that trust is. —Anita Chabria, Los Angeles Times, 20 June 2025

True Detective has been a bizarre adventure in serialization, the first season being one of the best detective stories put to television, and the others being a rollercoaster of quality culminating in the recent True Detective: Night Country, which formed some tenuous links to season 1. —Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 31 May 2025