Monday, April 23, 2012

A to Z Challenge: T - Tenuous

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:

LM Preston said...

Love the word and ditto on the feeling.

S.A. Larsenッ said...

You've picked some awesome words, Matt. Love this one!

Hope you feel better. ;D

Natalie Aguirre said...

Love the word and the picture. Sorry you don't feel good today. I don't like Mondays & starting the work week either.

Ted Cross said...

Hmm, sounds like my short stories!

Rebecca said...

love the word

Emily White said...

This is one of my favorite words. I use it all the time!

Old Kitty said...

I always have a tenuous grasp of anything on Mondays! Take care
x

Liz Brownlee said...

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

farawayeyes said...

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!

A Daft Scots Lass said...

Great word, sad that no one uses it to describe me.

Kelly Polark said...

I agree with Liz. This word is written like a long and slender word.
Thanks for the word of the day, Matthew!

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

So right now your brain has a tenuous hold on the morning?

Rick Daley said...

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).

Slamdunk said...

Good Matthew. Double duty, eh? On the way over...

JeffO said...

I can feel my fingernails peeling back just looking at that picture.

Daisy Carter said...

I really like this word, but I never think to use it. Maybe I'll remember it more often now - thanks!

Sarah Ahiers said...

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

Creepy Query Girl said...

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. :)

A Beer for the Shower said...

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.

Elaine L. Bridge said...

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

Elaine L. Bridge said...

(And that picture is crazy scary!!!)

Nancy Thompson said...

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!!

Claire Hennessy said...

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!

S. L. Hennessy said...

My grip on my sanity and temper is tenuous at best on Mondays. Ugh.

Johanna Garth said...

I have a tenuous grip on being awake this morning since the caffeine hasn't really hit yet! ;)

Lynn Proctor said...

sounds like i kinda feel this monday also--not really stretched but worn--feel better

Bryan Russell said...

I told that chap there was an elevator, but he just wouldn't listen.

Dani said...

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...

Christine Rains said...

What a good word for a Monday!

Anonymous said...

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.

Donna K. Weaver said...

*shivers* That word with that picture?

Gina Gao said...

This is such an interesting post. I really like how you write in your posts.

www.modernworld4.blogspot.com

Leslie S. Rose said...

Tenuous may be an overstatement for the way Mondays whack me in the head.

Lauren said...

I love the word tenuous (and I love the picture you chose as well!)

Andrew Leon said...

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!

Jay Noel said...

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!

Nicole said...

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

Nate Wilson said...

I don't know... those synonyms seem tenuous at best.

The Poet said...

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

Michael Offutt, Phantom Reader said...

Oooh...I have a better grasp of so tenuous a subject.

jp@A Green Ridge said...

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

Anonymous said...

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

alexia said...

Hope you feel better! Monday's almost over...

Sonia Lal said...

I love that word! IMO, the other words aren't really a good replacement for it.

Sonia Lal @ Story Treasury

Cassie Mae said...

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'. :)

Tracy Jo said...

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!

Wendy Tyler Ryan said...

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.

Unknown said...

Love the word, but I'm with you on the exhaustion/sick thing. I hope you feel better soon.

cleemckenzie said...

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.

Wine and Words said...

Well I should just tattoo that word on my forehead. Those are my nails there...and my skin left as evidence on the rock.

momto8 said...

i do not want my kids to be labeled tenuous!

Jessica L. Celaya said...

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.

Traci Kenworth said...

The sense of "having slight importance, not substantial"--like it. Tenuous.

Steve MC said...

Love those Sanskrit roots.

And it must be where we get tendon from.

Pat Tillett said...

Tenuous, I am not...
It's a great word though!