tenuous

Irregularly formed from Latin tenuis (“thin, slight”) +‎ -ous. Compare tenuious.

• IPA^(key): /ˈtɛn.ju.əs/

• Audio (Southern England)

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• Rhymes: -ɛnjuəs

tenuous (comparative more tenuous, superlative most tenuous)

1. Thin in substance or consistency.

   Synonyms: delicate, gossamer; see also Thesaurus:fragile

   The aether was thought to be of tenuous strands.

   Far from being amicable, the numbers seemed to turn their backs on each other, and I couldn't find a pair with even the most tenuous connection.

2. Insubstantial.

   Synonyms: ethereal; see also Thesaurus:insubstantial

   His argument was not convincing in the debate, considering how tenuous it was.

   • July 18 2012, Scott Tobias, AV Club The Dark Knight Rises

     Picking up eight years after The Dark Knight left off, the film finds Gotham enjoying a tenuous peace based on Harvey Dent’s moral ideals rather than the ugly truth of his demise.