Tenacious
Sports announcers borrow it for defense, founders borrow it for fundraising, and anyone who has finished a marathon knows it in their legs the next morning.
Learn This WordMeaning
Holding firmly to something; persistent and determined in purpose or action.
Memory trick
Think "TEN-ACIOUS" = "TEN ACES", holding ten aces tenaciously, never letting go. Tenacious people hold on firmly.
Examples
After three rejected drafts, she kept a tenacious grip on the story; same plot, sharper scenes each time.
The ivy was tenacious: it cracked the mortar in a season, indifferent to the landlord’s pressure washer.
He wasn’t loud in meetings, but he was tenacious about the safety checklist; the same five questions every week until the habit stuck.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Etymology
From Latin tenax "holding fast," from tenere "to hold."
Usage Notes
Often used positively to describe admirable persistence, though can sometimes imply stubbornness.
Real-life contexts
Praise persistence: "Your tenacious spirit is admirable."
Describe efforts: "She was tenacious in pursuing her goals."
Use in sports: "The team showed tenacious defense."
Common Mistakes
Tenacity is about sustained determination, not just being stubborn or inflexible.
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Part of Speech
adjective
Difficulty
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