tenacious

adjective

te·na·cious tə-ˈnā-shəs How to pronounce tenacious (audio)

: not easily pulled apart : cohesive

a tenacious metal

: tending to adhere or cling especially to another substance

tenacious burs

: persistent in maintaining, adhering to, or seeking something valued or desired

a tenacious advocate of civil rights

tenacious negotiators

: retentive

a tenacious memory

tenaciously adverb

tenaciousness noun

Did you know?

Tenacious Has Latin Roots

For the more than 400 years that tenacious has been a part of the English language, it has adhered closely to its Latin antecedent: tenax, an adjective meaning "tending to hold fast." Almost from the first, tenacious could suggest either literal adhesion or figurative stick-to-itiveness. Sandburs are tenacious, and so are athletes who don't let defeat get them down. We use tenacious of a good memory, too—one that has a better than average capacity to hold information. But you can also have too much of a good thing. The addition in Latin of the prefix per- ("thoroughly") to tenax led to the English word pertinacious, meaning "perversely persistent." You might use pertinacious for the likes of rumors and telemarketers, for example.

Example Sentences

But raw capitalism has also proved tenacious, evolving its own means of endlessly restimulating consumption …

Nicholas Fraser, Harper's, November 2003 This "Southern Operation" would seal off China from outside help, thus underwriting victory in Japan's frustrating four-year war against Chiang Kai-shek's feckless but tenacious Chinese army.

David M. Kennedy, Atlantic, March 1999 We have been nominally democratic for so long that we presume it is our natural condition rather than the product of persistent effort and tenacious responsibility.

Benjamin R. Barber, Harper's, November 1993 Some people claim that by election day this year François Mitterrand had very little power besides the power of his own tenacious, authoritative, and austere persona.

Jane Kramer, New Yorker, 30 May 1988 The company has a tenacious hold on the market. a tenacious trainer, she adheres to her grueling swimming schedule no matter what See More

Recent Examples on the Web Committed, tenacious, and creative, these 10 exceptional women make Greater Cincinnati a better place to live and work.

Cincinnati Enquirer, The Enquirer, 26 Aug. 2022 When driving the two models back to back, the Performante's steering felt crisper and more accurate, and reactions are indeed keener and more tenacious.

Mike Duff, Car and Driver, 19 Aug. 2022 Still, the idea that people had been created in a single moment of miraculous divine intervention proved tenacious.

James Carroll, The New Yorker, 19 Aug. 2022 Both Balash and Davis mentioned West’s tenacious effort to keep the game in reach.

Chris Bieri, Anchorage Daily News, 13 Aug. 2022 Still, perhaps Miyake’s greatest contribution was the tenacious wearability of his clothes—indeed, the wearability of his ideas.

Rachel Tashjian, Harper's BAZAAR, 9 Aug. 2022 This gripping series about Navarro College's cheer program in Corsicana, Texas follows the story of tenacious athletes defending a winning legacy.

Aimée Lutkin, ELLE, 30 July 2022 Yet they are locked in such a tenacious battle for market share that growth trumps all other considerations.

Jem Aswad, Variety, 28 July 2022 The maize-and-blue exterior of the car represents the university and, while small, Aevum is the team's smartest and most tenacious car yet, the news release said.

Layla Mcmurtrie, Detroit Free Press, 22 July 2022 See More

tenacious

adjective

as in persistent

continuing despite difficulties, opposition, or discouragement a tenacious trainer, she adheres to her grueling swimming schedule no matter what

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

persistent
stubborn
resolute
steadfast
insistent
determined
dogged
relentless
persevering
pertinacious
dedicated
loyal
adamant
patient
staunch
steady
true
constant
willful
unyielding
obstinate
headstrong
implacable
obdurate
positive
hardened
faithful
hardheaded
unwavering
indomitable
resistant
pigheaded
bullheaded
single-minded
firm
hard
opinionated
good
devoted
mulish
unfaltering
indurate
certain
peevish
intent
unhesitating
sure
unflinching
assured
resolved
wayward
unconquerable
unrelenting
unbending
perverse
wrongheaded
inflexible
wilful
hell-bent
stiff-necked
unregenerate
self-willed
stern
stanch

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

yielding
irresolute
hesitant
surrendering
faltering
treacherous
perfidious
fickle
quitting
traitorous
disloyal
faithless
inconstant
false
wavering
vacillating
hesitating

as in sticky

tending to adhere to objects upon contact you'll have a devil of a time getting those tenacious burrs off of your wool sweater

Synonyms & Similar Words

sticky
adhesive
adherent
clingy
glutinous
gummy
gluey
viscous
tacky
gelatinous
gooey
viscid
syrupy
ropey
ropy
tarry
pitchy

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

nonadhesive
nonviscous

Synonym Chooser

Some common synonyms of tenacious are stalwart, stout, strong, sturdy, and tough. While all these words mean "showing power to resist or to endure," tenacious suggests strength in seizing, retaining, clinging to, or holding together.

tenacious farmers clinging to an age-old way of life

The words stalwart and tenacious are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, stalwart suggests an unshakable dependability.

stalwart environmentalists

While in some cases nearly identical to tenacious, stout suggests an ability to endure stress, pain, or hard use without giving way.

stout hiking boots

In some situations, the words strong and tenacious are roughly equivalent. However, strong may imply power derived from muscular vigor, large size, structural soundness, intellectual or spiritual resources.

strong arms

the defense has a strong case

The meanings of sturdy and tenacious largely overlap; however, sturdy implies strength derived from vigorous growth, determination of spirit, solidity of construction.

a sturdy table

people of sturdy independence

Although the words tough and tenacious have much in common, tough implies great firmness and resiliency.

a tough political opponent

单词	tenacious
释义	tenacious adjective te·na·cious tə-ˈnā-shəs 1 a : not easily pulled apart : cohesive a tenacious metal b : tending to adhere or cling especially to another substance tenacious burs 2 a : persistent in maintaining, adhering to, or seeking something valued or desired a tenacious advocate of civil rights tenacious negotiators b : retentive a tenacious memory tenaciously adverb tenaciousness noun Did you know? Tenacious Has Latin Roots For the more than 400 years that tenacious has been a part of the English language, it has adhered closely to its Latin antecedent: tenax, an adjective meaning "tending to hold fast." Almost from the first, tenacious could suggest either literal adhesion or figurative stick-to-itiveness. Sandburs are tenacious, and so are athletes who don't let defeat get them down. We use tenacious of a good memory, too—one that has a better than average capacity to hold information. But you can also have too much of a good thing. The addition in Latin of the prefix per- ("thoroughly") to tenax led to the English word pertinacious, meaning "perversely persistent." You might use pertinacious for the likes of rumors and telemarketers, for example. Synonyms dogged insistent patient persevering persistent pertinacious See all Synonyms & Antonyms Example Sentences But raw capitalism has also proved tenacious, evolving its own means of endlessly restimulating consumption … Nicholas Fraser, Harper's, November 2003 This "Southern Operation" would seal off China from outside help, thus underwriting victory in Japan's frustrating four-year war against Chiang Kai-shek's feckless but tenacious Chinese army. David M. Kennedy, Atlantic, March 1999 We have been nominally democratic for so long that we presume it is our natural condition rather than the product of persistent effort and tenacious responsibility. Benjamin R. Barber, Harper's, November 1993 Some people claim that by election day this year François Mitterrand had very little power besides the power of his own tenacious, authoritative, and austere persona. Jane Kramer, New Yorker, 30 May 1988 The company has a tenacious hold on the market. a tenacious trainer, she adheres to her grueling swimming schedule no matter what See More Recent Examples on the Web Committed, tenacious, and creative, these 10 exceptional women make Greater Cincinnati a better place to live and work. Cincinnati Enquirer, The Enquirer, 26 Aug. 2022 When driving the two models back to back, the Performante's steering felt crisper and more accurate, and reactions are indeed keener and more tenacious. Mike Duff, Car and Driver, 19 Aug. 2022 Still, the idea that people had been created in a single moment of miraculous divine intervention proved tenacious. James Carroll, The New Yorker, 19 Aug. 2022 Both Balash and Davis mentioned West’s tenacious effort to keep the game in reach. Chris Bieri, Anchorage Daily News, 13 Aug. 2022 Still, perhaps Miyake’s greatest contribution was the tenacious wearability of his clothes—indeed, the wearability of his ideas. Rachel Tashjian, Harper's BAZAAR, 9 Aug. 2022 This gripping series about Navarro College's cheer program in Corsicana, Texas follows the story of tenacious athletes defending a winning legacy. Aimée Lutkin, ELLE, 30 July 2022 Yet they are locked in such a tenacious battle for market share that growth trumps all other considerations. Jem Aswad, Variety, 28 July 2022 The maize-and-blue exterior of the car represents the university and, while small, Aevum is the team's smartest and most tenacious car yet, the news release said. Layla Mcmurtrie, Detroit Free Press, 22 July 2022 See More Word History Etymology Latin tenāc-, tenāx "holding fast, clinging, persistent" (from tenēre "to hold, occupy, possess" + -āc-, deverbal suffix denoting habitual or successful performance) + -ious — more at tenant entry 1, audacious First Known Use 1607, in the meaning defined at sense 1a Kids Definition tenacious adjective te·na·cious tə-ˈnā-shəs 1 : persistent a tenacious fighter 2 : not easily pulled apart Medical Definition tenacious adjective te·na·cious tə-ˈnā-shəs : tending to adhere or cling especially to another substance : viscous coughed up 150 cc. of thick tenacious sputum Journal of the American Medical Association tenacious adjective 1 as in persistent continuing despite difficulties, opposition, or discouragement a tenacious trainer, she adheres to her grueling swimming schedule no matter what Synonyms & Similar Words Relevance persistent stubborn resolute steadfast insistent determined dogged relentless persevering pertinacious dedicated loyal adamant patient staunch steady true constant willful unyielding obstinate headstrong implacable obdurate positive hardened faithful hardheaded unwavering indomitable resistant pigheaded bullheaded single-minded firm hard opinionated good devoted mulish unfaltering indurate certain peevish intent unhesitating sure unflinching assured resolved wayward unconquerable unrelenting unbending perverse wrongheaded inflexible wilful hell-bent stiff-necked unregenerate self-willed stern stanch Antonyms & Near Antonyms yielding irresolute hesitant surrendering faltering treacherous perfidious fickle quitting traitorous disloyal faithless inconstant false wavering vacillating hesitating See More 2 as in sticky tending to adhere to objects upon contact you'll have a devil of a time getting those tenacious burrs off of your wool sweater Synonyms & Similar Words sticky adhesive adherent clingy glutinous gummy gluey viscous tacky gelatinous gooey viscid syrupy ropey ropy tarry pitchy Antonyms & Near Antonyms nonadhesive nonviscous Synonym Chooser Some common synonyms of tenacious are stalwart, stout, strong, sturdy, and tough. While all these words mean "showing power to resist or to endure," tenacious suggests strength in seizing, retaining, clinging to, or holding together. tenacious farmers clinging to an age-old way of life The words stalwart and tenacious are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, stalwart suggests an unshakable dependability. stalwart environmentalists While in some cases nearly identical to tenacious, stout suggests an ability to endure stress, pain, or hard use without giving way. stout hiking boots In some situations, the words strong and tenacious are roughly equivalent. However, strong may imply power derived from muscular vigor, large size, structural soundness, intellectual or spiritual resources. strong arms the defense has a strong case The meanings of sturdy and tenacious largely overlap; however, sturdy implies strength derived from vigorous growth, determination of spirit, solidity of construction. a sturdy table people of sturdy independence Although the words tough and tenacious have much in common, tough implies great firmness and resiliency. a tough political opponent
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tenacious

adjective

Did you know?

Synonyms

Example Sentences

Word History

Kids Definition

adjective

Medical Definition

adjective

adjective

Synonym Chooser