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tenuousness

tenuousness

8.1
A weak or slight state often about ideas and relationships
  • noun
  • /ˈtɛnjʊəsnəs/
translation icon : fragilidad
  • For some researchers, these diverse stabs at therapy serve as evidence of the tenuousness of the pathology itself.

Examples

  • These records also highlight the pluralistic character of life in the American West and the tenuousness of the nation's supposed Manifest Destiny.

    Academic text (1991)
  • The tenuousness of the argument notwithstanding, we may still charitably try to follow the spirit of de Vaux's argument rather than his actual reasoning, and come up with a more interesting and perhaps a more coherent product.

    Academic text (1998)
  • "That will demonstrate the tenuousness of the current Finnish regime and its basic failure as a European state."

    Fiction book (1996)
  • Zubok and Pleshakov seem not to worry that their readers may not be aware of the tenuousness of their findings.

    Academic text (1999)
  • His census also masked the tenuousness of lay commitment to Anglican worship and practice, the vagaries of ecclesiastical subordination, and deep-seated antagonisms toward the establishment.

    Academic text (2006)
  • The tenuousness of the rope made it difficult to climb the steep cliff safely.

  • She questioned the tenuousness of their friendship after such a long silence.

  • The tenuousness of the bridge was evident during the storm, as it swayed precariously in the wind.

Synonyms

weakness
vstenuousness
133 1.4

Lack of physical or mental strength that makes someone less able to act

is narrower, focusing on slightness and low substance
fragility
vstenuousness
17 5.2

Something that is easy to break or damage, like glass

is about general lack of strength rather than breakability
thinness
vstenuousness
1 4.2

Lack of strong, detailed ideas or proof in a text

covers that lack but also plain physical or general weakness
impotency
vstenuousness
1 7.9

Lack of power to change things

is about weakness in degree or substance rather than power alone
slightness
vstenuousness
1 6.1

A thin, small body that looks weak

is wider, applying to any weak or insubstantial situation
feebleness
vstenuousness
1 5.2

A lack of strength in an argument or evidence

is more about slightness and lacking substance specifically
smallness
vstenuousness
1 3.7

The state of having little energy or force

is focused on slightness and lack of substance rather than size
flimsiness
vstenuousness
1 4.4

Being weak and not well made so it breaks or fails easily

is broader, covering any slight or unsubstantial quality
tenuity
vstenuousness
9.9

A small or weak quality that shows little real strength

is the general term for lack of strength or substance
insubstantiality
vstenuousness
9.2

A lack of being real, strong, or convincing

is broader, naming simple weakness rather than unreal quality
slenderness
vstenuousness
5.4

A small amount that is not enough

is the general quality of being weak or lacking substance
puniness
vstenuousness
7.0

A state of being small, weak, or not important

is about weak substance rather than social or importance value
littleness
vstenuousness
8.0

A small amount of strength or force

is the broader quality of being weak or insubstantial
frailness
vstenuousness
5.1

Weak health that often appears in older people

is a general quality of being slight or lacking substance

Antonyms

1.2

Physical or mental power a person has to act

Having real importance or enough evidence to be believed

3.3

Firmness that resists pressure, like a hard rock

How Substantial

substance
335 2.8
solidity
2 4.2
tenuousness
8.1

Surface Forms

tenuousness singular
tenuousnesses plural

Morphology

tenuousness = tenuous (transparent) = tenuous + ness

Productive noun formation from 'tenuous' indicating the state or quality of being weak or insubstantial.

Etymology

Tenuousness comes from the Latin root tenu- meaning 'thin'. A helpful way to remember its figurative use is to think of a 'thin' or shaky link that can break, which is why tenuousness means weakness or lack of real strength.