tenacious
adjective
te·na·cious
| \ tə-ˈnā-shəs
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Definition of tenacious
1a
: not easily pulled apart : cohesive
a tenacious metal
b
: tending to adhere or cling especially to another substance
tenacious burs
2a
: persistent in maintaining, adhering to, or seeking something valued or desired
a tenacious advocate of civil rights tenacious negotiators
b
: retentive
a tenacious memory
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Synonyms for tenacious
Synonyms
dogged, insistent, patient, persevering, persistent, pertinacious
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Examples of tenacious in a Sentence
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
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Recent Examples on the Web
John Terry and Nemanja Vidic were tenacious, uncompromising centre-backs with a clear understanding of the game, whilst Patrice Evra was almost infallible and Dani Alves was like an auxiliary winger. — SI.com, "FIFPro Awards: Ranking the 6 Greatest World XIs," 5 Sep. 2019 Reichert advises them to be tenacious, work hard and stick with their craft. — Adriana Ramirez, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "This Port Washington candy shop goes through more than 6,000 pounds of chocolate each year," 26 July 2019 In newsrooms, some reporters are known for their tenacious ability to root out information, others for their deft ability with delicate interviews, and still others for their finesse as writers. — Bryan Marquard, BostonGlobe.com, "Gerard O’Neill, Spotlight editor who defined investigative reporting in Boston, dies at 76," 23 Aug. 2019 Adrian Phillips, a tenacious, smart player who made the Pro Bowl special teams last year, likely will replace James, while the other safety, Rayshawn Jenkins, works deep. — San Diego Union-Tribune, "Column: James’ injury a blow to Chargers, but team still equipped to succeed," 16 Aug. 2019 The Bosnian is known for his tough defending and tenacious attitude on the pitch. — Nada Bashir And Bianca Britton, CNN, "Security 'incidents' force Arsenal stars Mesut Özil and Sead Kolašinac to miss season opener," 9 Aug. 2019 But Hong Kong – and Taiwan – show that freedom and justice put down tenacious roots. — The Christian Science Monitor, "The green grass grows all around," 9 Aug. 2019 His elastic, tenacious body is the empirical proof, more convincing than any lab result. — Sally Jenkins, courant.com, "How does Tom Brady do it? It starts with science and ends with something less precise," 5 Aug. 2019 In his first year with Los Angeles, Thornwell, who is known for his tenacious defense, tallied 3.9 points in 15.8 minutes. — Chris Fedor, cleveland.com, "Cleveland Cavaliers agree to one-year deal with Sindarius Thornwell," 3 Aug. 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'tenacious.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for tenacious
tenacious
adjective
English Language Learners Definition of tenacious
: not easily stopped or pulled apart : firm or strong
: continuing for a long time
: very determined to do something
See the full definition for tenacious in the English Language Learners Dictionary
tenacious
adjective
te·na·cious
| \ tə-ˈnā-shəs
\
\
Kids Definition of tenacious
1
: persistent
a tenacious fighter
2
: not easily pulled apart