Tenacious Adjective - Definition, Pictures, Pronunciation And Usage ...

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Definition of tenacious adjective from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

tenacious adjective  /təˈneɪʃəs/  /təˈneɪʃəs/(formal) jump to other results

1. that does not stop holding something or give up something easily; determined
   • a tenacious grip
   • She's a tenacious woman. She never gives up.
   • The party has kept its tenacious hold on power for more than twenty years.
   
2. continuing to exist, have influence, etc. for longer than you might expect synonym persistent
   • a tenacious illness
Word Originearly 17th cent.: from Latin tenax, tenac- (from tenere ‘to hold’) + -ious.

See tenacious in the Oxford Advanced American DictionaryCheck pronunciation: tenacious

Nearby words

• ten number
• tenable adjective
• tenacious adjective
• tenaciously adverb
• tenacity noun

wildlife noun From the Word list Oxford 3000 B2 Oxford Learner's Dictionaries Word of the Day