Tenuous
Man. I hate Mondays. I had to get up extremely early today, and now I don't feel well. Oh well, that's enough complaining for now, let's get to today's topic.
ten·u·ous [ten-yoo-uhs] adj. 1. long and thin; slender 2. having thin consistency; dilute 3. having little substance; flimsy
Synonyms: slight, weak, dubious, shaky, doubtful, questionable, insignificant, flimsy, sketchy, insubstantial, nebulous
Etymology: 1590s, irregularly formed from L. tenuis "thin," from PIE root *ten- "to stretch" (cf. Skt. tanuh "thin," lit. "stretched out;" see tenet) + -ous. The correct form with respect to the Latin is tenuious. The sense of "having slight importance, not substantial" is found from c.1817.
NOTE: Today is my day to post over at the A to Z Challenge blog, so head over there for some more T related fun.
55 comments:
Love the word and ditto on the feeling.
You've picked some awesome words, Matt. Love this one!
Hope you feel better. ;D
Love the word and the picture. Sorry you don't feel good today. I don't like Mondays & starting the work week either.
Hmm, sounds like my short stories!
love the word
This is one of my favorite words. I use it all the time!
I always have a tenuous grasp of anything on Mondays! Take care
x
It even sounds stretched out, this word doesn't it! Nice. I went and read your other poet on the A-Z - as I explained there, I didn't know about those!
http://www.lizbrownleepoet.com
I know this one and don't particularly like it. I mean who wants to be flimsy (although I like that word - flimsy) or questionable, week or dubious.
This might be the worst word you could hear an editor or in a review.
Feel better!
Great word, sad that no one uses it to describe me.
I agree with Liz. This word is written like a long and slender word.
Thanks for the word of the day, Matthew!
So right now your brain has a tenuous hold on the morning?
I like the picture. I've been getting into rock climbing with my kids recently, although indoors. My 10-year-old has a real knack for it, and they both have extra doses of determination. It's fun to watch their problem-solving when they're part-way up the wall, although it can be a pain in the neck (literally).
Good Matthew. Double duty, eh? On the way over...
I can feel my fingernails peeling back just looking at that picture.
I really like this word, but I never think to use it. Maybe I'll remember it more often now - thanks!
ugh, i hear you on the waking up early today. I had an early morning meeting, and now all i want to do is go back to bed
I would have never thought debious would be a synonum with tenuous. In the Chicagoland vampire series I was reading- everyone keeps raising dubious eyebrows. :)
I love this word, especially because people don't often know what it really means. Fun fact: I once told a friend his argument was tenuous, and he said why thank you. I don't think he understood what I meant.
I know it’s not May 7th yet, but in line with my “T” post today I just wanted to take a moment now, before we reach the end of The Challenge, to thank you for co-hosting it all. While exhausting it has been yet exhilarating, and in some ways life-changing for me, as well. Much of that was due to the help, hope and incredible encouragement you offered along the way. Simply put, I’m grateful, and wanted to say thanks!
Elaine
www.spontaneoussputterings.blogspot.com
www.aheart4heaven.blogspot.com
(And that picture is crazy scary!!!)
I've always thought of as weak rather than thin. It's a word I use quite often actually. Thanks for making me feel no so dumb this morning. And I'm right there with you. Not a good Monday morning. Feel better!!
I hear you on the getting up early - i've just changed my work hours and I get up at 5am to start at 6am! And the weird thing is - I'm starting to like it! Argh! Great word - wonder if I can use it in my next post!
My grip on my sanity and temper is tenuous at best on Mondays. Ugh.
I have a tenuous grip on being awake this morning since the caffeine hasn't really hit yet! ;)
sounds like i kinda feel this monday also--not really stretched but worn--feel better
I told that chap there was an elevator, but he just wouldn't listen.
I'm gonna have to remember this one for my wip. I used one of your words in my S post, can you guess which one...
What a good word for a Monday!
I felt tenuous myself yesterday. Not slender, but weak and tired. Saturday's dinner didn't sit well. Had me feeling exhausted yesterday. Today, too, but I'm just tired.
*shivers* That word with that picture?
This is such an interesting post. I really like how you write in your posts.
www.modernworld4.blogspot.com
Tenuous may be an overstatement for the way Mondays whack me in the head.
I love the word tenuous (and I love the picture you chose as well!)
Well, Alex sort of took what I was going to say. Not exactly what I was going to say but close enough for me not to say it now.
Blah!
DANG!
This was the damn word I was trying to think of the other day. I know just where to put it in my WIP.
Thank God for you, man!
YOU don't feel well? How about this, I've had a headache since I woke up this morning, the weather is cold and rainy and I have to travel an hour just to find some foam board. Yeah, I guess it's a tough Monday for us all, buddy! Here's a thought: If we go to sleep now and wake up tomorrow, Monday will be gone. LOL.
Tenuous -- when I read "slender," I thought I would be able to use your Letter T selection to describe myself, since I'm thin. That was, until I read the rest of the post -- I surely am of some importance, others may even say I'm of substantial importance -- just ask my mom! LOL, so I'm afraid "tenuous" does not apply to me. Hehe.
~Nicole
Blog: The Madlab Post
@MadlabPost on Twitter
I don't know... those synonyms seem tenuous at best.
Hello.
Visiting from the A-Z Challenge.
Good word, but that photo is scaring me off (lol). Thanks for sharing.
I'm a first-time participant in the A-Z Challenge and just want to say a big "thank you" to you and the other co-hosts for organizing this fun event.
Day 20 (23): Tearful Maiden
Oooh...I have a better grasp of so tenuous a subject.
Hope you are feeling better, Matt...if it's any consolation, I didn't have to get up for work...I'm retired and loving it! Love "tenuous" you are bringing old words to the surface!!!...:)JP
Tenuous is a slight word, one that calls for back ups almost.
Perhaps we can leave this behind in order to finish the A to Z challenge strong.
visiting from A to Z
Hope you feel better! Monday's almost over...
I love that word! IMO, the other words aren't really a good replacement for it.
Sonia Lal @ Story Treasury
At least in your weakened state you still manage to pull out these words. My nose is jammed with some nasty crap today and the only word I can use to describe myself is 'icky'. :)
I felt like that this morning too. I am going to need to come back again and read all of your A to Z posts so I can remember all these new words. Hope you are feeling better!
This is actually a great sounding word. I need to make a list of great sounding words I like and make an effort to use them more.
Love the word, but I'm with you on the exhaustion/sick thing. I hope you feel better soon.
I used to get up at 5 and be at work by 6:30. Now I get up at 5 and am at work by 5:10. I think I'm gaining ground, but I'm still very tired by 10PM.
Well I should just tattoo that word on my forehead. Those are my nails there...and my skin left as evidence on the rock.
i do not want my kids to be labeled tenuous!
Excellent t word. It seems to go with the picture and the idea of Mondays. Good thing about Mondays is they are only once a week.
The sense of "having slight importance, not substantial"--like it. Tenuous.
Love those Sanskrit roots.
And it must be where we get tendon from.
Tenuous, I am not...
It's a great word though!
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